Baby We’ve Got Your Number: What Your Cell Phone Really Reveals About You

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

So, you think your getting away with something by storing all sorts of “secret”/personal information of your cell phone, Blackberry or other high tech information storage device. Well, according to officials you may want to think again, especially if you plan on trading yours in.

In fact, officials suggest that despite following directions to delete information included within, upgrading and trading in your old item (phone) for a new one or putting it up for auction on ebay may actually be more like putting on public display all you “dirty laundry”.

In fact, experts suggest that deleting sensitive information completely may be more difficult than you think, and it CAN be retrieved by relatively inexpensive specialty software found on the Net.

And, in fact, one company who bough several such phones and tested their phones security system on them was able to retrieve delicate information contained within including bank account information and passwords, business deal information, medical information and even conversations between covert lovers.

What’s ironic is that selling phones in quite popular for making some fast extra cash and that most of the phones were sold by the previous owners who had no idea that their sensitive personal and corporate information could be viewed and reviewed and their innermost “secrets” exposed and/or revealed.

According to experts, the information was stored on “flash” memory chips, the same technology also found in some music players and in digital cameras.

This “flash” technology is inexpensive and durable, but is slow to delete information in a manner that make it impossible to pull up again. So, manufacturers “make good” by using methods that erase data less completely but don’t slow down the speed of the phone.

Most manufacturers generally offer a guide for safely and effectively removing a user’s information, but it’s not always convenient or easy to find, and many do it on purpose so that clients don’t accidentally erase information they wanted or needed. Though some newer phones/models have a much easier to use wipe program.

And, some industry experts say much thought should go into disposing of an old phone. They suggest really considering the consequences of selling it and putting your information at risk, or simply destroying it by running over it with your vehicle. After all, it’s not simply a phone or technical device you are discarding, it is your identity and there are those out there just waiting to exploit it.