Mobile buyback and recycling company now offers consumers the same cell phone data deletion services provided to its enterprise and government partners
NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Oct. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — e-Cycle Founder and CEO, Christopher Irion, announced today that with the recent launch of the new Apple iPhone 5s and 5c and iPad models, his company is growing its operations department for an influx of businesses seeking to securely sell and recycle their used iPhones and other mobile devices. Additionally, Irion said that e-Cycle is now offering individual consumers the same mobile phone buyback and rigorous data protection services that it previously only offered to its corporate and government clients.
"e-Cycle has expanded its operations department due to a more than 300 percent increase in wireless buyback quote requests since the launch of the new iPhone 5s and 5c," Irion said. "We have also launched a consumer mobile buyback site at www.e-CycleYourMobile.com, after receiving frequent requests from our enterprise clients to provide a secure way their employees can sell their individually-owned devices. The site gives consumers the ability to quickly sell their iPhones, BlackBerrys, Androids and nearly 200 other types of wireless devices, and peace-of-mind knowing their private data is being erased properly."
While e-Cycle's core focus is providing wireless buyback, data security and recycling services for its business partners, the company launched the online mobile buyback site for security-conscious individuals. Devices purchased through the site receive the same thorough data sanitization services that e-Cycle provides its enterprise and government clients.
According to Irion, factory resets and remote wiping technologies do not delete all the confidential information stored in devices. Private data such as telephone numbers, private pins, photographs and other sources of information often remain in mobile phones in hidden menus.
Additionally, he said that many consumer buyback companies claim to offer data deletion services; however, if you read the terms and conditions on their respective websites, almost all state that it is the responsibility of the seller to delete their private information. He noted that there are several "horror stories" of individuals who have sold their used cell phone to online buyback companies and learned that it had been purchased on eBay with their private information still on the device.
Irion said a large percentage of mobile devices that arrive at the e-Cycle facility still contain sensitive data, even after they were reported to be wiped prior to shipping. Of the devices received at the facility, e-Cycle's data security department reports that:
- 2% have active phone lines – resulting dangerous security risks and unnecessary carrier charges
- 55% of devices have SIM cards that contain sensitive information
- 1 in 5 devices have SD memory cards with access to private files
"e-Cycle employs advanced technologies and multi-step, proprietary data removal processes that not only restores the device to original factory settings, but also manually deletes or overwrites any data that might remain," said Irion. "Every device we purchase is also subjected to stringent quality assurance testing. We hire third-party, forensic auditors on a quarterly basis to test random samples of our phones and validate our data removal processes."
Irion said that e-Cycle also uses high-security, lock-down facilities, an onsite guard and comprehensive employee background screenings to make certain their clients' data is protected. If a device cannot be reused in the marketplace or has functionality errors that prevent removal of data, the device is shredded on site and recycled responsibly. The raw materials are smelted down and reclaimed to make new products.
Businesses and consumers interested in selling and recycling used mobile phones, tablets and accessories can do so at www.e-Cycle.com. Consumers can sell and recycle their individual devices by using e-Cycle's online mobile buyback site at www.e-CycleYourMobile.com
About e-Cycle
e-Cycle purchases used mobile devices that retain value and recycles all others at no charge. The information on every phone is either deleted or destroyed using the industry's most rigorous mobile data security measures. In January 2012, e-Cycle became the first e-Stewards certified mobile buyback and recycling company in the world. More information is available at www.e-Cycle.com.
Media contact: Paulie Anthony | 614.397.7490 (cell) | Email