Cell phones and security
Smartphones contain a lot of confidential data. Think contact information, photos and emails, as well as links to cloud accounts such as Outlook and Gmail. In had of cybercriminals, this can cause big problems. But doesn’t the access code provide security? Almost all smartphone users have a lock on their phone, in the form of a code, fingerprint or facial recognition. Especially the latest models have state of the art security. For example, the new iPhones are so well secured that the U.S. FBI filed a lawsuit against Apple to force them to crack an iPhone. But Apple itself declared it could not do that either! Yet you can still connect a phone to a computer with a cable – and then suddenly a lot of files can be accessed. So smartphone security is definitely not foolproof.
Old cell phones and data destruction
Want to really handle an old cell phone well? Then get your data destroyed. There are several ways to do this:
- A hard reset: the phone then notifies you that all that will be erased. Also don’t forget to disconnect any cloud account. This is not completely 100% foolproof: a hard-reset can be reversed. Complete overwriting can only be done with special wipe software. The very best tool is Blancco. But Blancco is not cheap and very difficult for the “hobbyist” to use. At IT Recycling, we use Blancco software so we can help you with this.
- Having your old phone bought up, by a company that promises to erase the data.
There are many websites that promise this – but the risks are enormous.
You don’t know how a website like this handles confidential data. - The safest option: shred cell phones. This can be done on site, or pick them up and have them destroyed somewhere else. This is often quite a job: the screen and battery must first be removed from the cell phones. These are not allowed in the shredder by law. This is because the lithium battery can also cause a fire. At IT Recycling, we can shred them into pieces as small as 9mm.
Want to know more about cell phones and data destruction? Then get in touch with us. Our experts will be happy to tell you more!
Curious about Data destruction in practice? Watch the video below.