The Factory Reset option on Android smartphones often does not wipe out digital data totally, according to a new study. After restoring factory settings, the risks of data hacking are high.
Tech researchers at the University of Cambridge have reported that Factory Reset does not truly erase all fthis fact
data on cellphones. The smartphone research shows that a big bulk of data remains on the mobile device.
Over 630 million smart cellphones on the market today are used smartphones. This stresses the fact that resetting factory settings is a key issue for many smartphone users.
Ross Anderson and Laurent Simon, researchers in the study, tested the Reset Settings feature of over 21 smartphone models. That included big smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, and Google. The Android OS versions ranged from 2.3 Gingerbread to 4.3 Jelly Bean, according to Biz Tek Mojo.
In their mobile device testing, the researchers extracted 80 percent or more of data that they "erased." That included data such as texts, emails, and images.
Researchers could also access the previous smartphone users' Google login credentials. A good hacker could access and restore old Google account data, including financial apps.
HTC One, HTC Sensation XE, and Motorola Razr I retained the most data after the researchers reset factory settings. Google's Nexus 4 had the best performance after a handset reset, according to The Next Digit.
The researchers explained that different cellphone models had different problems clearing data. However, the main issue was that data clearing was not 100 percent.
After smartphone users format their device's memory, a few MBs often remain. This is because the data is compressed in a small memory space.
Some manufacturers blame Google and its Android operating system. However, smartphone makers are partially at fault due to their mobile hardware saving some data after a Factory Reset.
The researchers suggest that smartphone users set a very complex password before they reset and sell their mobile devices. They should use at least 11 characters, upper case and lower case letters, and special symbols. Brute-force cracks will then be more difficult.