Here’s a heads up for anyone running older Android devices: the Aussie Government is warning local users that devices aren’t being wiped properly in an apparent security flaw.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that selecting the option to wipe an Android device doesn’t completely erase the data on the phone or tablet.
Researchers were able to take old devices that their owners thought had been securely wiped and access everything from passwords through to contacts and other data.
As a result of the discovery, the Australian Government’s Stay Safe Online initiative has issued a warning about the flaw:
“The flaw is believed to be present on many types and models of Android smartphones, although the list of exact models affected has not yet been established. Android versions between 2.3 (Gingerbread) and 4.3 (Jelly Bean) were found to allow access to data after the device was supposedly wiped. It is not yet known whether the latest versions of Android are affected,” the Government wrote.
Make sure to enable encryption on your smart devices before wiping and letting them go!