Saturday, October 30, 2010

Your cell phone can betray you!

Cell phones are powerful computers, and they contain scads of your sensitive personal information, from bank account info. to balances, photos, text messages, private phone numbers, etc. Think about what you have stored in your phone. Keep in mind that it’s all retrievable, especially in the wrong hands.

Most Americans upgrade their phones every 18 months on the average, but fail to wipe their personal information contained within completely away. So prior to your resell, recycle or donating your phone, remember to completely scrub it clean, (electronically wipe) your phone of all of your crucial personal information.

You can have it professionally done for you, but if you choose to attempt it yourself remember that just deleting information is not quite sufficient enough, and it may still be present even if you cannot still see it, and it most likely has left an electronic footprint.

To permanently wipe it clean:

1. Remove the SIM card (SIM=Subscriber Identity Module)

2. Remove the Memory card if one is present in your device. This card is installed to load up on apps., video, and photos.

3. Reset the phone as detailed in the owners manual. Also, choosing to reset to manufacturers default settings will usually do the trick. If you have any doubt about you success, try calling the supplier or service location, and confirm the procedure.
    
You may also search online for directions. Just make sure you back-up anything you want to save, because once you reset your phone, it's gone for good. 

Don’t rely on donation centers or trade-in dealers to automatically wipe it clean for you. Most won’t, so it’s up to you to make sure it’s done and over.