Archive for the ‘Computers’ Category
Erased or Not?
Computers are becoming obsolete at an ever-increasing pace as new leaps in technology become available. A computer that you thought would last you forever when you bought it two years ago now will barely load the new version of your operating system. Hard drives are getting larger by leaps and bounds and processor speeds keep improving to keep up with more complex programs.
If you are like most people, you won’t give much thought to your old computer. Close to 90% of all old computers end up in the landfill. But what many people do not realize is that thieves may still be able to access your hard drive.
Identity theft is a topic that makes headlines almost every day. A thief can use your personal information to purchase goods using your credit, siphoning money from your bank account, and trashing your financial reputation and your credit history. The data contained on your computer’s hard drive could give an identity thief all he or she needs to ruin your life. Making certain that no one can “read” your hard drive after you have disposed of it is critical to safeguard your finances.
There are several ways to remove access to the information on a hard drive, but only one works reliably. You can delete all of the files on your hard drive. Although your directory will look blank, all of those files still reside on your hard drive and can be seen by those who know how.
You can reformat your hard drive. This process overwrites all of the information on it. However, those files can still be accessed by identity thieves because overwriting only masks the data but doesn’t eliminate it entirely.
You can take a hammer and smash your hard drive. While this seems like a more permanent fix to the problem, often physically damaged hard drives can be repaired and read.
The only way to permanently and reliably erase the data on your hard drive is through a process called degaussing. Hard drives contain their data on disc platters, similar to a compact disc. Degaussing magnetically erases the data on the hard drive by scrambling its magnetic alignment. Information stored on a hard drive cannot be accessed after the degaussing process and the hard drive is safe to either dispose of or to donate to a school or a charity.
Companies like IntelliRecovery (www.intellirecovery.com) specialize in hard drive degaussing. Simply remove the hard drive from your computer, ship it to them, and they will erase it. You can then either have the hard drive returned or leave it at IntelliRecovery’s facilities for recycling.
There are many situations in which you may need to have a hard drive erased. Not only might you be getting rid of an outdated computer, but you may have to erase a former employee’s hard drive or upgrade your existing hard drive. Regardless of whether you have a business or personal computer, having confidential information stolen can affect you financially and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
Protecting the integrity of your computer data is an important part of safeguarding your assets. Professionally erasing your hard drive is an easy and effective solution to your data safety concerns.