Fresh research has been conducted to help understand the steps mobile device users take when trading in their devices. One leading debate topic among smartphones is security, so SellCell, a top gadget recycling site in the U.S., conducted research to help understand which security risks consumers take with their devices as they trade them in.
Without surprise, the research reveals BlackBerry users are more “security savvy” than Android or Apple device users. From knowing how to wipe the device before a sale or trade to changing app passwords, BlackBerry users are taking these security measures very serious as opposed to iPhone and Android owners. Check below for the full press release that was directly emailed to us.
Full Press Release
Over 130 million* U.S. adults are putting their mobile data at risk
Latest SellCell.com Study Reveals BlackBerry Users Are The Most Savvy When It Comes To Smartphone Security
NEW YORK, JUNE 26, 2013 – SellCell.com, the leading cell and smartphone recycling price comparison site in the US, today released its latest study revealing that over 130 million* U.S. adults are putting their mobile data at risk by not having a security pin on their phone. Almost two-thirds (65.9 percent) of mobile phone-owning U.S. adults indicated they do not have the pin on their devices.
The study also found that:
- Over half of respondents (60 percent) would not know how to wipe data off their phone before selling or recycling it;
- One in seven have sold a phone without removing their data beforehand; and
- BlackBerry users are the savviest when it comes to security, with 51 percent knowing how to wipe their phones before selling it. Despite this awareness, a surprising 17 percent of BlackBerry users have gone ahead and recycled their old phones without wiping all the data first, compared to only five percent of iPhone users.
When it comes to changing passwords for access to apps, BlackBerry users are once again the most experienced, with 21 percent regularly changing their passwords. This is compared to only eight percent of Windows Phone users and only 13 percent of iPhone users who engage in regular password updates. In regards to phone factory settings, iPhone users proved to be the most informed (34 percent) on how to reset theirs. BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android users were all the least savvy in this space, with only about three in 10 owners knowing how to reset theirs.
“These days our phones contain the most intimate details of our life, including birth dates, contact details, e-mails, text messages and photos,” says Colin White, Managing Director for SellCell.com. “It’s incredible how much you can find out about a person just by looking through their phone. With the increased adoption of personal phones also being used for business nowadays, it is shocking that so many people pay little regard to the work sensitive information they keep on an open device. To avoid falling victim to identify fraud or other fraudulent activities, it is crucial for consumers to understand how to properly protect their data.”
Consumers interested in selling back their old device can visit SellCell.com for more a step-by-step tutorial on how to properly recycle their phone or tablet.