Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Cell Phone Forensics On Clearing Data

By Gary Cook


Everyone has a secret in the phone that you would not like exposed. It could be a photo, message, file, link, or anything that would compromise your position. When you want to give away the handset or sell it, such information needs to be cleared to prevent it from falling into unsafe hands. Cell phone forensics experts have recommended ways you can protect information from compromise.

Use the factory reset option. This is the first resort for most people and devices. It is meant to clear all information and settings that have been altered since the handset began to be used. Some phones work by locking handsets from setting alteration. This might not work if you are selling or giving it since it will be useless to the receiver. However, it still provides a reasonable deal of information protection.

Resetting factory settings does not wipe out data. It only locks it in a place that is irretrievable through your handset. With advancement in technology, such information may be retrieved with ease. If someone employs off-the-shelf techniques and technology, your secret information will be retrieved leading to compromise. You therefore need more advanced ways of concealing the information and erasing it completely from the system.

Data encrypting is another option. This is an option that is limited to certain handset models which means that it is exposed to limited use. It means that anyone trying to access information from that handset will have to provide an unlocking key. Since you will be the sole holder of the key, your information will be protected.

While encryption is default for certain handset models, there are apps with encryption options inbuilt. All information transferred through these apps is usually protected. However, hacking has made it uncertain to claim safety through encryption. With widespread hacking even of highly protected platforms, encryption provides protection only to a certain extent.

Data can be protected by overwriting it. Devices will provide that option when you are saving information or files. It works by erasing the existing ones and writing others over them. Like resetting, overwriting only provides temporary reprieve where advanced technology can lead to access. A hacker is still capable of accessing this information.

External memory devices like SIM cards and SD cards should be removed. They are storage devices which hold files and information that you may consider confidential. Once you remove them from the phone, all the information that was stored in them disappears and cannot be accessed by the phones again. It can only be accessed once the cards are returned. This option will only work if you had chosen external storage for your data.

Data recovery technology has made it almost impossible to permanently delete information from phones. However, since recovery relies on advanced technology, it is still possible to conceal files and data from unauthorized persons. Follow the directions of your handset to guarantee security. If you would not want any information to fall into the public eye, do not generate it in the first place.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment