This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube video titled "Tom Brady Phone Destroyed in Deflategate Scandal" — a WBZ Channel 4 (Boston) news segment (WBZ News at 10) created on 2015-08-01. The clip covers the NFL upholding Tom Brady's four-game suspension in the Deflategate case, focusing on reports that Brady destroyed his cell phone and whether text messages can be recovered. Participants include anchors/reporters Robert Siciliano (appearing as an identity-theft/cybersecurity expert), Jim Smith (anchor/reporter), Steve Burton (sports director) and other station contributors. Siciliano comments that carrier/server records may retain texts and offers general advice on securely disposing of mobile devices.
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Live from the Channel 4 studios in Boston, WBZ News at 10 starts right now.
Tonight, Tom Brady's suspension stands.
The NFL commissioner in this 20-page decision refusing to reduce that 4-game punishment for so-called Deflategate.
And Brady's own actions may have doomed him. Roger Goodell saying the quarterback destroyed his cell phone rather than hand it over. We have team coverage tonight beginning with sports director Steve Burton. He is live at the CBS scene tonight. Steve.
All right. Thank you very much. Well, you know what? They were waiting. We were all waiting for this to put the hammer down. And it certainly came down on Tom Brady today. A 4-game suspension. It looks like Brady is going to take this to federal court. He's already admitted to at least talk to the NFLPA, allowing them, giving them permission to go to federal court. Roger Goodell, it took him a while to make this ruling. He was trying to make the Patriots an example. An example he has certainly made them. A 4-game suspension. Tom Brady, you know, a lot of people thought that this was going to be reduced to maybe 3 games, to maybe 2 games, to maybe 1 game. Well, such is not the case. Now it is indeed a 4-game suspension. So now Tom Brady has a lot on his hands. And, you know, admitting to the fact that he had his cell phone destroyed, that is a heavy case against Tom Brady. So when it goes to federal court, if indeed it does go to federal court, and it looks like it is headed in that direction. How is Tom Brady gonna rise to the occasion and handle that situation? Because that right there is a smoking gun. That right there is damning evidence when it comes to Tom Brady. And he has given the NFLPA permission to appeal this in federal court. Now, training camp starts on Thursday. We hope to talk to Brady on that day, whether or not he will address the media. Maybe his lawyers have told him not to address the media and to be quiet on this the entire time. But in the meantime, we'll see how all this plays out. Yeah, yeah.
All right, Steve, thank you for that. Well, it's more than just the pressure gauge, of course. It's the cell phone that's a smoking gun in this case. Jim Smith has that part of the story. He's live tonight in the satellite center. Jim.
Kate, according to the NFL, Tom Brady told them because he had his cell phone destroyed, all of those text messages cannot be retrieved. The The question tonight is, is there any way to recover the information that was on Tom Brady's cell phone? Well, tonight I found one expert who told me the answer could very well be yes.
More than likely, those text messages are residing on a server that, uh, with a little push and shove, someone can get access to.
Identity theft expert Robert Siciliano is a cyber sleuth. He says even if Tom Brady did destroy his cell phone, he probably didn't destroy all his data.
It is certainly possible that the data is gone. It is also more than likely that the data is somewhere. His carrier, at some level, probably has the information. They do store that data for a period of time. Some say anywhere from 2 to 6 months.
What do you think about the phone being destroyed?
The cell phone issue was front and center on talk radio at 98.5 The Sports Hub. Who's gonna be the first one that asks Belichick where his phone is? Was his phone destroyed?
Who knows?
We found the Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card information.
Now an argument in favor of Brady destroying his phone. Siciliano says it is actually a good idea for all of us to do that whenever changing cell phones.
You don't recycle mobile devices today like you did back in the day because the data is there. Somebody could find information on that phone if it was, say, recycled or sold. And being that he's high-profile, he doesn't want that device or its information getting in the wrong hands because of identity theft issues.
So a word to the wise tonight: it is a good idea for all of us, if we're getting rid of a cell phone, if we want to get rid of it, to completely destroy it. But remember, the NFL is saying that Brady told them he just happened to destroy his cell phone on or around the day in March when he was questioned by the NFL about those deflated footballs. Live in the satellite center, Jim Smith, WBZ News.
