Think twice before selling your smartphone!

A study published last week by Avast (AVST) suggests the vulnerability of Android smartphones goes beyond malware. As it turns out, wiping the devices fails to remove sensitive data.

Avast is in the business of selling security software, so anything the company says about smartphone security should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, the evidence that Avast offered is shocking and should serve as a wake-up call, especially to those who are selling their Android smartphone in preparation for buying the next must-have mobile device.

Avast purchased 20 used smartphones that sellers assumed had been wiped of personal data because they used Android’s “Factory Reset” option. This is what was found:

• 40,000+ photos
• More than 1,000 Google searches
• 750+ e-mails
• 250+ contacts
• The personal identity of four of the previous device owners
• One completed loan application

While this sample might not be representative of what data you have on your mobile phone, it serves as a stark reminder that selling your smartphone comes with risks. And this may be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to smartphone security issues.

This is a security issue affecting not only personal users, but also corporates and enterprises that allow access to their confidential data both from corporate owned and BYOD devices. And this is also the reason why at CloudWALL Italia we are offering CloudWALL MDM | Mobile Device Management that allow to secure sensitive data on mobile devices.

CloudWALL MDM | Mobile Device Management offloads IT organizations from the arduous task of managing and securing corporate- and employee-owned mobile devices (BYOD). CloudWALL MDM | Mobile Device Management provides IT administrators with a rich set of capabilities to secure and manage both small and large-scale deployments of business and personal mobile devices. Our solutions offer organisations real-time visibility and control of connected mobile devices from a single administrative console.

Find more details at www.cloudwall.tk/mdm.