When was the last time you cleared all the clutter around your house? That old clutter includes old computers, discarded drives and especially old phones.
Don’t dare toss ’em out, donate or sell any of your personal tech before you wipe it clean by destroying all your personal data. Deleting isn’t good enough – you’ve got to obliterate it.
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What hackers can see on your old devices
If you don’t, someone a lot less well-intended than a security researcher who bought up 80 some-odd old tech devices to see what personal information was left exposed. What Josh Franz found according to his account on his blog can create havoc in anyone’s life. Check this out.
Personal Data left behind on hand me down devices
- 611 email addresses
- 50 dates of birth
- 41 social security numbers
- 19 credit cards (most where photos showing front and back with every detail)
- 6 driver’s licenses
- 2 passport numbers
Golden Rule: Destroy data, don’t just delete.
How to wipe your data on an iPhone or iPad
- Unpair any Apple Watch
- Back up your device
- Sign out of iCloud, iTunes and the App Store by going to Settings > click your name > tap Sign Out at bottom > You will need to enter your Apple ID and password and tap Turn Off.
- Go back to home screen and tap Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings
More details here: How to securely get rid of your old cell phone
How to wipe your Android device
- First, make sure you backup. To backup and Android device go to Settings > System > tap Backup > when turned On it backs up your data to Google Drive.
- Then remove Factory Reset Protection (FRP) if enabled. If FRP is left enabled the next user will need your username and password to provision your old device. Go to Settings > Accounts > tap your account email > About device/phone > Remove Account
- Go to Settings > System > Reset Options > tap Erase all data (factory reset) > tap Reset phone > Erase everything
- Once done, logon to your Google account to remove the device. Look for the phone you are getting rid of and remove it from Recently Used Devices section in your Google account.
More details here: How to securely get rid of your old cell phone
It’s important that you follow these steps before selling or getting rid of your device. If you don’t wipe and only delete the data, your personal information.
Related:
More ways to take back your privacy:
- How to Stop Amazon from Sharing Your Internet with Neighbors
- Best Alternatives to Big Tech Beast Google
- Map buried inside your phone reveals where you have been and photos you snapped there
- How to Give Ring a Quick Privacy Checkup
- Don’t make this one mistake when getting rid of your old phone
- Working from Home? How Your Boss May Be Watching You
- Real-life Spy Catcher Sweeps My House and Finds Everything