Second hand devices' security risk

Today’s sophisticated devices are exacerbating the problem of keeping sensitive information safe, says a new study. The survey of over 160 used gadgets found a range of information including salary details, financial company data, bank account details, sensitive business plans, details of board meetings and personal medical details.  

The devices containing the greatest volume of information were discarded Blackberry devices which in a number of cases were left unprotected, despite having security features like encryption built in. Forty-three per cent of those examined contained information from which individuals, their organisation or specific personal data could be identified creating a significant threat to both the individual and the organisation.  It is thought that this is the result of the increasing adoption and use of this type of device by organisations to support increasingly mobile workforces.

While being far less sophisticated, 23% of the mobile phones examined still contained sufficient individual information to allow the researchers to identify the phone’s previous owner and employer.

Dr Iain Sutherland, who leads the research team at the University of Glamorgan, added: “Many large organisations currently dispose of obsolete hand-held devices by donating them to charities.  It was discovered during the course of the research that a number of these charities then pass on a large percentage of these devices to places like China and Nigeria, both of which are regarded as posing a real threat to the security of information.”