Do you where your old mobile phone is now? Did you wipe it clean before you got rid of it?
Every year, about 60,000 mobile phones and 6000 PDAs are left in cabs in Sydney (based on estimates from London statistics). Data security is the responsibility of the person who put the data on the phone: it is not illegal to read the information.
One recovered BlackBerry, according to a recent study, revealed its businessman owner lived in an upmarket part of Sydney. It contained details of his various businesses, including bids and contracts, uncomplimentary comments about employees, an extensive list of contacts and a complete log of phone calls and diary commitments. It even held extensive and lurid exchanges with his mistress, according to a recent study.
And remember, data held ‘privately’ on your phone might infringe the liberties and rights of someone else if it becomes public knowledge.