How are law enforcement agencies able to retrieve data off of a device or sim etc. that has been erased/deleted, yet we cannot retrieve our own lost data? Isn’t the point of erasing something to completely erase it…
In: Technology
So, here’s the best way I can explain this. When you “delete” something, off of your device, it’s not actually being deleted. A programming function on your device is just choosing to ignore that particular data. If you happen to use that space up, however, it will be overwritten. Typically, devices don’t have built in software to allow access to “deleted” files, but you can actually just download stuff like that. There’s a ton of recovery software that exists out there.
The main answer to your question, then, is that law enforcement agencies have access to very good recovery software. The recovery aspect of their software is the same as you yourself could get, but their software often has elements that can attempt to bypass security. That’s why a lot of device manufacturers advertise their encryption technology, as it can help users feel more secure by attempting to block unwanted prying into your devices hidden files.
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