The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has advised mobile phone users to take several precautions before selling their devices or handing them over for repair to protect their personal information.
According to the PTA, performing a factory reset alone may not be sufficient to completely protect sensitive data, as deleted information can potentially be recovered using specialised software.
Users have been advised to back up important data before resetting their devices and ensure that the phone’s storage is encrypted. After carrying out a factory reset, users can also transfer some non-sensitive photos or videos to the device and perform another reset to further reduce the possibility of deleted data being recovered.
The PTA has also advised users to sign out of and remove all accounts linked to the device, including Google, Apple and Samsung accounts, before handing it over to another person. This can also prevent activation or access-related issues for the new user.
Important files and personal information should be backed up to services such as Google Drive or iCloud, or transferred to a computer or memory card before the device is reset.
The precautions are aimed at helping users safeguard their personal information and protect their privacy when disposing of or handing over their mobile phones.
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