What are the types of electronic devices?
Computers and phones – electronic devices that can use a processor and an operating system to automatically or manually store data inside them fall into this categoryDigital Media – an example could be digital cameras and mp3 players. Any device containing multimedia content such as music, images etc. artifacts falls into this category.Peripheral Devices – these devices are used by other electronic parts to extend their functionality. Examples are an external hard disk, SD Cards, USB Sticks, and similar things.Gaming Devices – Electronic or digital devices capable of sending data over wired or wireless connections for controlling any other electronic deviceOther devices – Electronic devices used for entertainment or home appliances fall into this category; they also contain some information they may have collected over time. Examples of this category of devices are – Smart TVs, a connected coffee makers, and similar things. These, too, need to be sanitized so that your data does not fall into other people’s hands.
Do resetting a device means data was securely removed from your discarded device?
Taking a Windows PC or tablet as an example, one might perform a software reset and assume that they have deleted all data correctly from the phone. It is not the case. The data deleted from the device is readily available for recovery. All it requires is a good data recovery tool. Even if a person deletes phone contents manually by connecting them to a computer or deletes items one by one, it still is not safe. That kind of deletion can be undone, and data can always be restored (read) by the person who takes over the discarded device using data recovery tools. This could lead to security concerns when the supposedly deleted data contains information such as credit card information, house address, etc.
How to dispose of electronic devices
There are specific methods to remove data from electronic devices based on how you dispose of them. If you give away any computer or similar electronic device to someone or any institution, you must “sanitize” the device before it leaves your hand. There are different methods to dispose of electronic devices or to sanitize them. Some of them are mentioned below. The above states how to destroy data before you dispose of electronic devices that belonged to you so that the data on their storage devices is irrecoverable.
Dispose of electronic devices – The environmental factor
We have already written about how computers and electronic devices can often pollute land and air, making them unusable. For details, please read E-Waste Problem, Hazards, and Solutions. Make sure you check both factors – data destruction and environmental hazard – before you dispose of electronic devices. Related read: How to Securely and Safely dispose of old Computers.
