Update on Android phones let sensitive data – Computerworld Portugal

Investigators recovered access credentials, e-mails, text messages and other sensitive information on Android devices

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It is common sense to update the state of an Android phone to its original state, “factory”, before selling it or deliver it. But researchers have recently discovered that this can often not properly clear all sensitive data device user.

A test to 21 second-hand smartphones with the Android versions from the 2.3.x (Gingerbread) and 4.3 (Jelly Bean) revealed that it is possible to retrieve e-mail, text messages, “tokens” access to Google and other sensitive data after the function “reset” factory have been used.

study was performed by Laurent Simon and Ross Anderson of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, used devices purchased on eBay between January and May 2014. The devices include models Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola and three Nexus from Google.

In 80% of cases, they were able to recover the “token” of Google, that could allow someone re-synchronize your device with the account Google’s previous owner, thus gaining access to emails, contacts, Wi-Fi passwords and other data stored in that account

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