Mobile devices store more sensitive data than people realize, often more than what’s on your computer. This may include:

• Where you live, work, and visit.
• Contact information for family, friends, and co-workers.
• Phone, text and chat history and content.
• Stored browsing history, passwords, and account access.
• Personal photos and videos.
• Health information, including age, heart rate, exercise history, or blood pressure

Regardless of how you dispose of old mobile devices, be sure to first securely erase all that sensitive information. Simply deleting is not enough—you need to reset the device. This process varies among devices, below are the steps for the two most common brands:

• Apple iOS: Settings | General | Reset | Erase All Content and Settings
• Android: Settings | Privacy | Factory Data Reset

If you’re unsure, or need assistance, ask for help from a technician at the store where you purchased it. Attackers can and will use old mobile devices to gain access to your information and accounts, impersonate you, and phish you and your contacts.

ITS will be continuing phishing education this month using emails that mimic real attacks. If you receive an email that you suspect is phishing, don’t click any links, download any attachments, or reply. 
For more information on reporting phishing emails, see the IT Service Portal guide Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to).

Peter Lundstedt, ITS