Risks to Data Privacy from a Used Data Storage Device

Risks to Data Privacy from a Used Data Storage Device

Is your storage device being sold, exchanged, donated, returned, or simply discarded? Your data, on the other hand, may be in danger. Data protection is inextricably linked to storage security and data security. Data security is primarily concerned with keeping personal data out of the hands of those who are not allowed to see it.

To prevent sensitive information from unwanted access, redundant print copies of papers are shredded. However, in the case of digitally recorded material, the same level of discretion is not applied. Given the widespread use of storage devices, the lack of user awareness (and indifference) toward secure media disposal methods and practises is unexpected.

The following are some of the most common methods for consumers to dispose of their old devices:

  • Consumers can sell or swap their old cellphones and computers for new ones at a discount.
  • Businesses sell their obsolete electronics to resellers without properly sanitising it (internally or through an IT asset disposition agency).
  • Companies rent storage hardware for a set period of time and then return it without properly sanitising it.
  • After erasing the data and/or formatting the storage media, a customer or company can sell their used storage devices to e-scrap sellers.

All of these circumstances put leftover data on old devices at danger of illegal access, posing a risk of data breach and misuse.

What are the risks of data breach when using second hand devices?

Consumers and corporations are both at danger from leftover data on used devices. This research report goes into great length about the dangers posed by leftover data in used devices. This report summary is given below.

For people, a breach of leftover data can result in the theft of sensitive information like as biometrics, medical records, social security numbers, passport numbers, credit card numbers, and online banking passwords, among other things. Identity theft, financial fraud, credit history tampering, defamation, and misattribution are all possible uses for this information.

Geolocation, app & browser data, secret images, contacts, sms messages, emails, addresses, chat history, surfing history, and date of birth are all examples of sensitive personal information that can be used for threats, harassment, extortion, and other types of physical and mental harm. Furthermore, a new owner of an insufficiently sterilised second-hand equipment may find themselves in possession of ‘illicit information’ belonging to the previous device user, causing a slew of issues.

Copyright, financial reports, corporate information, trade agreements and secrets, and strategic documents are examples of leftover data in exiting devices for enterprises. A data breach can result in financial loss, brand harm, lawsuit, and non-compliance with data protection rules like GDPR, which carries substantial fines.

You are responsible for data privacy.

It’s critical to understand that just deleting files, formatting a hard disc, or resetting a smartphone does not sanitise the media. Data that has been erased or formatted can be simply restored using basic data recovery tools. Lab data recovery techniques may also be used to recover data from physically damaged or failing hard drives, as well as media damage caused by natural disasters such as storms, floods, or fire.

So, before you resell, gift, swap, return, or just discard your used or old computer, server, hard drive, or mobile, make sure you securely delete all leftover data.

The optimum answer for data privacy is data erasure.

Data erasure software is a quick, flexible, and efficient disk sanitization solution that eliminates the risk of data leaking from used (or any) devices. The data erasure technique works by ‘overwriting’ the data on a device with binary numbers, irreversibly sanitising it and making it unrecoverable. However, unlike processes like degaussing, which render the device worthless and contribute to e-waste development, data erasure software allows you to reuse the media.

BitRaser, a certified data erasure software, is the ideal solution for safe hard disk cleanup because it can erase nearly any type of storage devices, including hard disc drives, solid state drives, servers, and rack-mounted devices, forever.

BitRaser implements 27 global data erasure techniques, including NIST Clear & ATA, DoD 5220, and others, to ensure that the data is fully deleted in accordance with current data privacy regulatory requirements. It accomplishes this by generating erasure certificates with tamper-proof audit trails, which can assist you in meeting compliance with standards such as SOX, GLB, HIPAA, ISO27001, EU-GDPR, and PCI-DSS.

BitRaser File Eraser is another file eraser programme that may be used to delete confidential files, directories, Internet browser history, app and system traces, drive volumes, and even free disc space from a computer.

Another specialised data erasure software, BitRaser Mobile Erasure and Diagnostics, permanently erases data from iOS and Android cellphones to ensure that the media is entirely cleaned with no risk of data breach or leaking.

Data privacy requires device sanitization. It’s up to you.

From a personal, business, and legal standpoint, data privacy is critical. That is undeniable. It is, above all, a fundamental human right. Today, protecting data privacy is more important than ever; we’re in the midst of the big data revolution, managing multiple devices, and consuming ‘digital’ like never before. Given today’s data risks, it’s critical to implement a foolproof system that can perfectly sanitise your outgoing media. Certified data erasure software is your best choice for ensuring complete data privacy by wiping the devices completely. It’s entirely up to you.