Re-Victimization from Police-Auctioned Cell Phones

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland has found that smartphones seized by police forces across the United States and auctioned online often contain sensitive data that has not been erased. The researchers purchased 228 smartphones from PropertyRoom.com, the largest auction house for police departments in the US, and found that 49 of the devices had no PIN or passcode, while they were able to guess an additional 11 PINs using popular patterns. The study revealed that the phones contained personal information and data related to crimes, including victims' data. It also highlighted the potential risk of re-victimization if criminals gained access to the data. The researchers noted that they expected police departments to refrain from auctioning such phones due to the potential for misuse, but found their expectation to be false. The researchers urged for better data-wiping practices before auctioning seized smartphones. PropertyRoom.com has responded to the study by announcing that it will ensure all phones sold through its platform are data-wiped before auction.

The full article is at https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/05/re-victimization-from-police-auction...