How Much Data Is Left On 'Wiped" Smartphones?

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While most people are worried about how much data can be retrieved from a "wiped" smartphone, we like to intentionally leave nude pictures on old cell phones as a way of mentally scarring anyone looking for data. :D

Simply restoring a phone to its factory settings won’t completely clear it of data. Even if you use the built-in tools to wipe it, when you go to sell your phone on Craigslist you may be selling all sorts of things along with it that are far more valuable — your name, birth date, Social Security number and home address, for example. You may inadvertently sell your old photos, nudes and all. The bottom line is, the stuff you thought you had gotten rid of is still there, if someone knows how to look.
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I got a few pics don't i can't find the DIR to delete them......wipe and format is not like in windows....
 
It never ceases to amaze me how people are so reckless with nude pictures and the like.

If you don't want the world to see it... why don't you... uh... don't take the damn picture in the first place?
 
cdr_74_premium said:
It never ceases to amaze me how people are so reckless with nude pictures and the like.

If you don't want the world to see it... why don't you... uh... don't take the damn picture in the first place?
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My problem? I keep taking them....but no one wants to see them. :(

;)
 
I got news for you guys, any forensic investigator can easily find your stuff, deleted, wiped, damaged, whatever.
 
and chances are, the person buying your used phone isn't going to bother with those techniques to recover sensitive data
 
that is why you destroy the phone. it ensures the data isnt recoverable and gives you an excuse to smash something.
 
I got $450 for my iPhone 4S. That fistful of cash was worth the risk that the buyer might try to go CSI Miami on it.
 
we like to intentionally leave nude pictures on old cell phones as a way of mentally scarring anyone looking for data. :D
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This idea is great, find some aweful picture of like some really old, really fat, really hairy, fat nude person and save it on there :D
A second idea might be to save a sound named something nice like spongebob and then record something similar to the above picture idea :)
 
Steve said:
While most people are worried about how much data can be retrieved from a "wiped" smartphone, we like to intentionally leave...
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This photo?

man_bra.jpg

:D
 
Deep in the details they note they used an iPhone 3G and the there is no problem or remaining data on a 3GS or better iPhone.

If have a 3G still kicking around that is almost ancient news now.
 
this is interesting... i usually just give away my old phone. maybe next time i'll just smash them like the article just said
 
It's not that complicated, you just need to fully wipe the phone.

Delete all your data (pictures, contacts, etc) manually, if it's an Android or Blackberry plug it into a PC and fill the empty flash space with junk files (this will keep someone from recovering the original files you deleted). Then do the factory reset/wipe. Highly unlikely anything would be recoverable.

I see people smashing thier hard drives to keep thier files safe, when all they really need to do it to run a program that does a secure wipe (multiple passes) of the drive.

Of course if your phone or drive is so old it's only worth $10, then smash away :)
 
nutzo said:
It's not that complicated, you just need to fully wipe the phone.

Delete all your data (pictures, contacts, etc) manually, if it's an Android or Blackberry plug it into a PC and fill the empty flash space with junk files (this will keep someone from recovering the original files you deleted). Then do the factory reset/wipe. Highly unlikely anything would be recoverable.
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Solid state media can sometimes have "extra" cells more than its advertised capacity that it rotates to.
 
So the moral of the story is to destroy old phones instead of selling or donating them? (Well, besides the other moral story of not taking naked pics.)
 
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