Skelmersdale, UK - 8 February 2013: Smartphone defence specialist, BlackBelt is one of 20 companies shortlisted for Smart UK Project’s “Most Innovative Mobile Company 2013” competition. The company has been invited to present its DataWipe technology in London today, 8 February and the finalists will be judged at the MWC show in Barcelona. BlackBelt will highlight how DataWipe addresses a growing security risk affecting businesses, the effective removal of data from portable devices using solid state drives (SSD).

Solid state memory is now fitted as standard in smartphones, tablets and ultrabooks and this adds an additional layer of complexity to data erasure. If the wipe is not managed correctly it can open companies up to the threat of sensitive personal and corporate information falling into the wrong hands.

The workforce is becoming increasingly connected and mobile, which means businesses are having to implement policies for wiping data from a much broader range of devices and this is coupled with the growing legislative pressure to recycle technologies. A data breach can have serious implications in terms of financial or reputational damage. Non-compliance with national and international directives also puts businesses at risk of further penalties.

Ken Garner, Business Development Manager at BlackBelt, said: “The adoption of mobile technologies in the workplace, alongside the rising demands from employees for connected business policies, such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), mean businesses face an increasingly difficult data security landscape. To compound matters further, smartphones and tablets have a much quicker upgrade cycle than PCs so their shelf-life is comparatively short and more data needs to be erased more often.”

He continued: “This issue with wiping the data from mobile devices lies in their use of SSD. The memory format uses a technique called wear levelling to minimise data corruption and extend the SSD’s lifespan by over-ruling instructions to permanently overwrite old data. There is nothing sinister about wear levelling, but it does mean that traditional data wiping technologies can no longer guarantee 100 per cent removal of data from SSDs.”

There is not yet an industry-wide certification for data wiping smartphones and tablets. However, BlackBelt’s DataWipe has been tested and verified by independent third parties and meets regulations for the safe disposal of mobile device user data. Unlike using a device’s in-built factory reset or when re-flashing the operating system, DataWipe completely removes all data. Also, the computerised system eliminates human error to ensure a higher-quality of service and provide a clear audit trail. This protects personal and business mobile data, to eliminate the risk of fraud and offer peace of mind.

BlackBelt’s DataWipe currently removes data from Android, iPhone and BlackBerry operating systems, and there are plans to extend cover to additional operating systems and tablets in the near future.

For more information about DataWipe, please visit: www.blackbeltdefence.com.

Smart UK Project, supported by UK Trade & Investment, has been developed to reward innovation in the UK's mobile industry. For more information on Smart UK Project please visit www.smartukproject.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

About BlackBelt
For more information about BlackBelt, please visit www.blackbeltdefence.com

PR Press Contact
Whiteoaks PR
Leila Hrycyszyn
+44(0)1252 727313
leilah@whiteoaks.co.uk