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Hard drive destruction 'crucial' Hard drive destruction 'crucial'
(about 3 hours later)
The only way to stop fraudsters stealing information from old computer hard drives is by destroying them completely, a study has found.The only way to stop fraudsters stealing information from old computer hard drives is by destroying them completely, a study has found.
Which? Computing magazine recovered 22,000 "deleted" files from eight computers purchased on eBay.Which? Computing magazine recovered 22,000 "deleted" files from eight computers purchased on eBay.
Criminals source old computers from internet auction sites or in rubbish tips, to find users' valuable details.
Freely available software can be used to recover files that users think they have permanently deleted.Freely available software can be used to recover files that users think they have permanently deleted.
A number of software solutions exist to definitively erase files and information, and a sufficiently strong magnet could do the job. While Which? recommends smashing hard drives with a hammer, experts say for most consumers that's a step too far.
But the most straightforward solution, according to Which?, is complete destruction - and it recommends using a hammer. Criminals source old computers from internet auction sites or in rubbish tips, to find users' valuable details, and a number of recent cases have shown the dangers in disposing of second-hand equipment.
A number of recent cases have shown the dangers in disposing of second-hand equipment, from which details as well as other personal files can be retrieved. A number of software solutions exist to more definitively erase files and information.
The most straightforward solution, according to Which?, is complete destruction - and it recommends using a hammer.
It must be done with caution because those smithereens contain environmentally harmful materials so they should be recycled - for instance at the vendor from whom a new hard drive is purchased.
Worth it?
However experts advise that even a treatment with a hammer may not be the end of your data.
Expensive and sophisticated techniques could be used to recover deleted data, even from a hard drive platter that has been physically damaged.
But for most people, the freely available deleting software or a simple hard drive formatting procedure should make the data sufficiently difficult to retrieve as to not be worth a criminal's time.
"You can get a credit card number on the internet for about ten pounds from credit card thieves," says Rupert Goodwins, editor of technology news website ZDNet.
"So nobody's going to spend more than ten pounds trying to nick your credit card number off your hard disk."
Mr Goodwins argues that the free software is as effective as the hammer - indeed, he argues it is as effective as the software that can be quite costly.
"Unless you're a spook or the kingpin of a criminal consortium, there's no need to go out and buy deleting software and no need to put a hammer through the damned thing," Mr Goodwins told the BBC.
"If you're that worried, get rid of it properly: burn it or put it in acid."
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A guide to destroying your hard driveA guide to destroying your hard drive
"PCs contain more valuable personal information than ever as people increasingly shop online, use social networking sites and take digital photos," said Sarah Kidner, editor of Which? Computing.
"Such information could bring identity thieves a hefty payday."
"It sounds extreme, but the only way to be 100% safe is to smash your hard drive into smithereens."
Because those smithereens contain environmentally harmful materials, they should be recycled - for instance at the vendor from whom a new hard drive is purchased.