Security: Wiping Android devices leaves your data on them!

[Anonymous]

Most sellers delete all of their personal data prior to selling their used devices… or so they think. A security company purchased 20 used Android phones off eBay and used simple and easily available recovery software to restore deleted files. The amount of data they were able to retrieve was astonishing and proves that simply deleting is not enough.

* More than 40,000 stored photos

* More than 1,500 family photos of children

* More than 750 photos of women in various stages of undress

* More than 250 selfies of what appear to be the previous owner’s manhood

* More than 1,000 Google searches

* More than 750 emails and text messages

* More than 250 contact names and email addresses

* Four previous owners’ identities

* One completed loan application

"Stalkers, enemies, and thieves can abuse personal data to stalk, blackmail and steal people’s identities. They can use this information to watch people’s every move, exploit their strange fetishes, open credit cards in their name, or even continue what they started by further selling their personal information online."

Whats the best way to ensure none of your files can be recovered if you're selling your Android device? 

* Turn on Encryption.

* Factory reset the device.

* Wipe the storage, then fill it up with something innocent like pitcures of fluffy kittens or Cthulhu. This overwrites the storage where your files were.

* Factory reset and wipe the storage again, and fill it up again with something else innocent. Do this 2 or 3 times.

Your info and files is now not only buried beneath dummy data, but its also all been encrypted as well.

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/09/boffins_slapped_by_one_thousand_wobbly_bits_after_wiped_phon...

[Toby]

Thanks for sharing Papa.

I like the Cthulhu advice personally

[Cleoriff]

Great advice @Anonymous . It will come as NO surprise that I prefer the pictures of fluffy kittens option

[Anonymous]

It does amaze me when people think that when they delete that pic , video or text message it removes it fully from the phones storage.

Thank you for sharing papadug

[Anonymous]

I should probably mention that this goes for ANY electronic device that you store personal data on be it cameras, laptops, computers, etc.

I am trained in Computer Forensics and it scared me when I was first shown what I could recover from a computer hard drive where files had been deleted and then the drive formatted!

[Anonymous]

Best scenario is to remove the hard drive when passing on a laptop / NetBook IMO.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Best scenario is to remove the hard drive when passing on a laptop / NetBook IMO.

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Yup, and thats always the best thing to do and what I always advise. However you then have to pay for a new hard drive for the device! 

[Anonymous]

True but nowadays hard drives are not that expensive and can be factored into the resale price of the PC / laptop or NetBook.

[Anonymous]

So if we do a factory reset can we recover data that was not backed up this has just happend to my brother its driving him mad any help to stop him pulling out the last of his hair

[MI5]

There is commercial software available, such as https://www.piriform.com/recuva but the best stuff used by professionals is very sophisticated and expensive.
Depending on the value of data lost it may be best to seek professional help.