Buying a second-hand device? Advice

Need to upgrade IT equipment on a budget? Considering second-hand devices? Here’s some advice when it comes to choosing and purchasing second-hand.

Rising costs for businesses

With prices rising in every direction at the moment, for businesses, and the consumers who buy from those businesses, it will likely become more common place for businesses to upgrade their IT by buying second-hand devices.

We’re not here to advise you against it. There are just a few things you need to be aware of when buying second-hand devices when it comes to staying safe online and protecting the integrity of your business.

Choosing second-hand devices

The latest model in every device will not protect you against cybercrime. By the same token, a second-hand model is perfectly acceptable as long as it’s still supported by its manufacturer.

For example, do not buy a phone or tablet that is either no longer supported, or is due to have its support period end soon.

Check the make and model online first to establish the length of support. This is important, because without support, the device won’t receive updates to improve performance, and, more importantly, won’t receive the security updates that make it harder for hackers to break into.

Purchasing online

Stay safe when purchasing second-hand goods online. Use a reputable seller, don’t part with personal information, and use a secure payment method or credit card.

Full guidance to staying safe while shopping online can be found on the National Cyber Security Centre’s website.

When you receive your second-hand device

Do not use your device until you’ve performed a ‘factory reset’, or ‘restore to factory settings’. Different makes and models will describe a factory reset in a few different ways. If you’re unsure of the term for your model, search online, for example, for: RESET IPHONE TO FACTORY SETTINGS. You will then be able to go through the steps advised.

It’s important that you perform a factory reset to erase any personal data on it. In fact, this should already have been performed by the seller, but don’t take it for granted. Perform the reset then you have done what you can to make sure the clean is as clean and as updated as possible. And also make sure you opt for automatic updates and backups, as well as set up lock screens, passwords, fingerprint or face ID, for maximum security.

Restore to factory settings is not secure sanitisation

Keep in mind that, despite factory resets, a determined criminal who has expertise in retrieving data may still be able to recover data on a wiped device.

While a factory reset will prevent almost everyone from accessing any data still left on the device, it is not a complete guarantee. For complete removal of all data, in a secure way, sanitisation of a decision is recommended, however, this may mean that the device is permanently disabled since some methods are destructive, depending on the device.

For advice on professional data sanitisation, you can refer to the National Cyber Security Centre for further guidance.

If, after reading this, you decide not to choose second-hand devices, and need expert input on exactly what you do need to buy, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the tech experts at Cultrix HQ.

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