• Send Us A Tip
  • Calling all Tech Writers
  • Advertise
Monday, May 19, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
TechStory
  • News
  • Crypto
  • Gadgets
  • Memes
  • Gaming
  • Cars
  • AI
  • Startups
  • Markets
  • How to
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Crypto
  • Gadgets
  • Memes
  • Gaming
  • Cars
  • AI
  • Startups
  • Markets
  • How to
No Result
View All Result
TechStory
No Result
View All Result
Home Future Tech

IoT devices like Amazon Echo Dot don’t wipe off data during factory reset

by Manasi Varma
July 19, 2021
in Future Tech, Internet of Things
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
IoT devices like Amazon Echo Dot don’t wipe off data during factory reset
TwitterWhatsappLinkedin

A lot of the private information of users are stored by Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and so, it’s rather obvious that users will be concerned, and for good reason too. While factory resets have for long been cited as the natural answer to these concerns, it is only up to the consumers to trust if such measures actually work. And turns out, the trust has been misplaced, if not broken, by one well-known maker. An academic research carried out on Amazon Echo Dot has found that factory resets are not satisfactory in wiping data from such devices. In fact, it was noted that simple forensic procedures can be sufficient in restoring the data deleted through factory resets on Internet of Things (IoT) devices like Amazon Echo Dot.

You might also like

Audi Officially Retires the Q8 e-Tron, A Successor is Already in the Pipeline

2026 Toyota RAV4 Teased Ahead of May 20 Reveal: A Bold, Electrified Future Awaits

2026 GMC Hummer EV: Bigger, Bolder, and Now in Carbon Fiber

IoT devices like Amazon Echo Dot
Image Credits:Gadgets360

This can prove to be worrisome, especially because of the fact that Echo Dot holds a copious amount of user data, from WiFi passwords and Amazon logic credentials, to router MAC addresses, among other sensitive information.

The Study and its Findings

The study was carried out on 86 used models of the Amazon Echo Dot, which were purchased from eBay and flea markets, by a group of researchers from Northeastern University. Additionally, six new Echo Dots were also included in the study. The results of the study showed that 61% of the used models had not had any previous factory reset done on them, and even after the group carried out a factory reset, they were able to easily access the previously stored data, simply by making use of forensic tool Autospy.

This is in direct contravention of Amazon’s own claims, which make users believe that they can safely remove all their data from “applicable devices” by performing a factory reset.

Where the Problem Stems From

The main issue at hand is that most smart IoT devices often come equipped with flash memory, and since this kind of memory allows only a finite number of deletion cycles, it becomes more difficult to get rid of the data stored on it. This is because the stored data actually becomes inoperable only after a finite number of delete cycles (which can range among thousands) have been carried out. As such, the data which is deleted is actually just made invalid, and moved to an unused page, from where it can rather easily be brought back.

In order to once again gain access to the deleted data files, all that the researchers had to do was physically move the memory chips into devices built especially for reading them, followed by Autospy scanning. Apart from retrieving deleted data, the scientists also succeeded in making the devices work on the same network that they had previously used.

While so far, the only proof about the unreliability of IoT device factory resets has come through the above study, it does serve to create additional questions as to whether other smart IoT devices suffer from the same problems or not.

 

 

Source: CPO Magazine

Tags: Amazon Echo DotFactory resetInternet of Things (IoT)IOT
Tweet54SendShare15
Previous Post

McLaren secures a whopping $760M in investment

Next Post

Google’s Whitechapel Chip, LaMDA and AI to design chips

Manasi Varma

A 20-something year old with a flair for writing, a love for reading, and an obsession for KPop. Most amicable person you'll ever meet.

Recommended For You

Audi Officially Retires the Q8 e-Tron, A Successor is Already in the Pipeline

by Samir Gautam
May 17, 2025
0
Audi Officially Retires the Q8 e-Tron, A Successor is Already in the Pipeline

Audi has officially pulled the plug on the Q8 e-tron, marking the end of an era for the automaker’s first dedicated electric SUV. The announcement follows the closure...

Read more

2026 Toyota RAV4 Teased Ahead of May 20 Reveal: A Bold, Electrified Future Awaits

by Samir Gautam
May 17, 2025
0
2026 Toyota RAV4 Teased Ahead of May 20 Reveal: A Bold, Electrified Future Awaits

Toyota has set the automotive world abuzz by releasing the first official teasers of the next-generation RAV4, with a full reveal scheduled for May 20. While the automaker...

Read more

2026 GMC Hummer EV: Bigger, Bolder, and Now in Carbon Fiber

by Samir Gautam
May 17, 2025
0
2026 GMC Hummer EV: Bigger, Bolder, and Now in Carbon Fiber

The 2026 GMC Hummer EV is here, and it’s louder, faster, and flashier than ever. Though now powered by electricity instead of the roaring V8s that defined its...

Read more
Next Post
Updates On Google’s Custom Whitechapel Chipset For Google Pixel 6

Google's Whitechapel Chip, LaMDA and AI to design chips

Please login to join discussion

Techstory

Tech and Business News from around the world. Follow along for latest in the world of Tech, AI, Crypto, EVs, Business Personalities and more.
reach us at [email protected]

Advertise With Us

Reach out at - [email protected]

BROWSE BY TAG

#Crypto #howto 2024 acquisition AI amazon Apple bitcoin Business China cryptocurrency e-commerce electric vehicles Elon Musk Ethereum facebook flipkart funding Gaming Google India Instagram Investment ios iPhone IPO Market Markets Meta Microsoft News NFT samsung Social Media SpaceX startup startups tech technology Tesla TikTok trend trending twitter US

© 2024 Techstory.in

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Crypto
  • Gadgets
  • Memes
  • Gaming
  • Cars
  • AI
  • Startups
  • Markets
  • How to

© 2024 Techstory.in

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?