Private info on computers

[grandmajoy]

My Hub is a computer nut and a dumpster diver. We live in a rural area. A trip to the land fill today, he dumps some old computers off, there was a computer there that he thought he would look at, so he brought it home. This computers hard drive had EVERY CONCEIVABLE BIT OF INFO ON IT! Account numbers, phone no.s, health info, life insurance info, EVERYTHING. He uses a program that overwrites thousands layers of gibberish to "clear" a hard drive. I shudder to think of what would happen if some one dishonest were to get a hold of some of the computers he has found. He has found them with even patient names and records, very personal stuff, nothing illegal, yet. PEOPLE WIPE OR DESTROY YOU'RE HARD DRIVES! My hub doesn't have fancy equipment and he can get info off most hard drives he finds, the only exception is the ones that have been overwritten or utterly destroyed. Even if you are told you're hard drive has failed there might be info that some one can retrieve. He has repaired peoples hard drives and retrieved info for people who have been told there hard drive is no good. IF YOU THROW AWAY A COMPUTER TAKE THE HARD DRIVE OUT! IF YOU DONATE A COMPUTER OVERWRITE THE HARD DRIVE! The best way to destroy a hard drive take it apart use it as target practice, but don't just throw it in the garbage!
I know this should really be in computers but I did want as many as possible to see this.

joy

[DavidOH]

I have seen things like that. Many people just don't take the time to clean them up.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-secure-erase-utility.htm

[indyguy]

landfills in this area allow you to remove NOTHING from the dump area. I have had the landfill call me and tell not to send back a few employees because they were dump picking.

I agree that the best way to protect yourself is to remove the hard drive from any computer you scrap.

[CanNerd]

Using a drill right through the middle of it works pretty good for prying eyes in a dump.

[Nightshade]

Every computer I ever trashed I took the hard drive out and made little bitty peaces
of it with a sledge hammer. Very satisfying!

[dearg]

My favorite way to dispose of hard drives is target practice. Fill'em full of holes and they aren't much good.. LOL

[DavidOH]

I have seen things like that. Many people just don't take the time to clean them up.

Best Free Secure Erase Utility
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-secure-erase-utility.htm

I couldn't edit the above post, so I re-listed with the title to to link.

[CarolAnn]

Good post, Joy! I go a step farther and I encrypt things on my own PC that I care about - like personal info you mentioned. Otherwise, it's a generic pc with "Preferred User" as the owner! I've never registered my home PC, either. It's not that I have anything to hide - I don't. But I still want something that resembles privacy!

When hard drives weren't so big it was a lot easier to erase them, fill up with junk, erase again and repeat - that overwrote any bits that might be retrievable. Now it's a lot harder with 80G and more on a drive!

[FZRaven]

Yep, always overwrite the drive a few times. DoD standard is 7 passes, but research has shown that 1 pass is enough. Still might as well run 7 passes, with modern computer speeds it does not take to long. Feel free to ignore the 35 pass option, that's over kill.

[TNDadx4]

I'd like to mention the TrueCrypt program that the article or comments mentioned. This is a great free encryption program that wil even encrypt USB drives. I keep all of my important info encrypted. Even if if falls into the wrong hands, they'd have a very difficult, if not impossible time decrypting it.

[Bones]

So what happens when I take a magnet to the outside of the hard drive?

[CanNerd]

Nothing. Magnetic field probably would not penetrate the case and would not be sufficient to erase anything on disks. Years ago I tried a Radio Shack bulk tape eraser to see what would happen....nothing.

[MissouriFree]

My favorite way to dispose of hard drives is target practice. Fill'em full of holes and they aren't much good.. LOL

I really like your method.. lots more fun....

[Teg]

So what happens when I take a magnet to the outside of the hard drive?

If you use a larger magnet it will work, but if you don't want to erase it laying one the size of thumbnail 5 ft from your pc will do it. ;) :)