Sensitive Information Found on Discarded Hard Disks

[MikeLigalig.com]

Sensitive information for shooting down intercontinental missiles as well as bank details and NHS records was found on old computers, researchers say.

Of 300 hard disks bought randomly at computer fairs and an online auction site, 34% still held personal data.

Researchers from BT and the University of Glamorgan bought disks from the UK, America, Germany, France and Australia.

The information was enough to expose individuals and firms to fraud and identity theft, said the researchers.

Professor Andrew Blyth said: "It's not rocket science - we used standard tools to analyse the data".

The research involving the Welsh campus was led by BT's Security Research Centre and included researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia and Longwood University in the US. - BBC

[Mulligan]

The story does not stop there.  As a precautionary measure, whenever you have to discard your hard drive, be sure to deghost, zero-fill and do a low level formatting inorder to prevent such incidence.  Don't even trust you techie guy to do it for you.  You have to do it yourself.  Case in point re:  CDO BIR sex scandal?    Its just a google away.  

Cheers!

Bedo

Sensitive information for shooting down intercontinental missiles as well as bank details and NHS records was found on old computers, researchers say.

Of 300 hard disks bought randomly at computer fairs and an online auction site, 34% still held personal data.

Researchers from BT and the University of Glamorgan bought disks from the UK, America, Germany, France and Australia.

The information was enough to expose individuals and firms to fraud and identity theft, said the researchers.

Professor Andrew Blyth said: "It's not rocket science - we used standard tools to analyse the data".

The research involving the Welsh campus was led by BT's Security Research Centre and included researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia and Longwood University in the US. - BBC

[insurectus]

even low level format may not help, burn it or insert dirts on its platters

[Mulligan]

I agree sir.

even low level format may not help, burn it or insert dirts on its platters