2.0 Firmware To Have Secure Erase
Sources using the latest beta build of the unreleased iPhone 2.0 firmware say that it was recently updated with additional security features.
While both versions of the iPhone currently have an "Erase All Contents and Settings" option, it is now known that firmware v1.x
(the public software) only does a regular deletion of the information stored on the device. In the 2.0 firmware,
sources say that this option will mimic the "Secure Empty Trash" deletion in Mac OS X.
The new deletion method implemented should be greatly more secure. While normal deletion just deletes the files, v2.0 deletes the files, unlinks them, and overwrites the affected memory sectors several times, ensuring that it cannot be recovered. This should prevent anyone from recovering a previous owner's data, like we saw earlier.
Although it does ensure that private information can never be recovered by the wrong person, it does take much longer to do.
The new feature is said to take a whole hour.
It is possible that the new more secure "Erase iPhone" feature is made to compliment the remote wipe option they announced at WWDC
in order to make the iPhone more appealing to businesses and their IT departments. It will also be made available at a time
when many people will most likely be preparing to sell or swap their iPhone in preparation for the iPhone 3G.
[ via
iPhone Alley ]