NAID: 40% of used electronics found to contain personal information

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The new study conducted by the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) revealed that 40% of the used electronics on the second hand market contained personally identifiable information (PII). The study was conducted in association with Fort Myers, Florida-based CPR Tools Inc., which analyzed used devices on the market, including hard disk drives, mobile phones and tablets.

Similar studies have been carried out in the past decade. However, NAID claims this study to be the largest and comprehensive study carried out till date. The recovery process used to identify data on more than 250 devices required no advanced forensic training. The agency employed only basic measures to extract data. Also, all methods leveraged downloadable shareware. Robert Johnson, NAID CEO noted that the study results indicate decline in data found in electronic devices, as compared with results of previous studies. However, findings of the study are horrifying as millions of devices come for recycling every year. Had the study employed sophisticated approach, the results would be even more alarming, he added. At the same time, Johnson noted that the study results are in no way an accusation of lapse of services by certified players in the industry.

The highest amount of personal information was found in tablets. Almost 50% of tablets contained confidential data that were not erased. 44% of the hard drives also contained PII. Only 13% of the mobile phones on second hand market were found to have recoverable data. Johnson noted that not all service providers are NAID certified. All NAID certified providers of data destruction services ensure secure data erasure while overwriting. However, the market also has a large number of unqualified players, thereby resulting in the increased percentage of data availability on these devices. Moreover, certain businesses and individuals try to destroy data by themselves, which also could result in improper data erasure. Alarmingly, the PII recovered during the study included critical information such as credit card details, contact information, user name, passwords, personal details and tax details.

Meantime, John Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of Fresno, California-based electronics recycler ERI termed the new study results published by NAID as alarming. In a statement, Shegerian stated that the study results must be considered as a big and urgent warning of the ongoing threat to national security and individual privacy in the US. He cautioned that the timely data provided by NAID study should serve as a warning to businesses and individuals. It also reveals that many businesses that claim to do responsible data destruction and electronics recycling services are not doing their job properly, Shegerian added.

About NAID

NAID is an international professional organization that sets the industry standards for responsible data destruction. Its certification program was created through the combined efforts of the industry’s leading information security professionals. Its standards and practices are recognized globally.