Protecting the Privacy of Data During Computer Recycling

Save precious data before equipment is recycled

It's important to save the precious data stored on computer hard drives before the equipment is recycled. Data should be completely removed from the hard drives before the equipment is sold or recycled.

All drives should be formatted (erased) in order to remove any data. All computers contain valuable private and financial data. Should this data fall into the wrong hands, it can have disastrous consequences for the owner. Identity theft is growing and to protect yourself, you should erase any data before giving the computer away or sending it to the recycler.

Methods to destroy data effectively

Wipe off any media before it's given away. One of the ways is to physically destroy the drive. This includes all the disk drives, zip drives, tapes etc and all other storage media. Physical destruction destroys the storage media and the data along with it. This means that the storage devices can't be exploited for unauthorized future use.

The second method is known as degaussing. This is where a magnetic device is used for removing the data from the hard disks. This method isn't 100% foolproof and sometimes the data (or some parts of the data) might not be removed or destroyed.

With recovery software readily available on the market, malicious people may recover parts of your data if it is not removed. This can be very damaging to the previous owner of the storage devices and the computers.

The third method is overwriting the data. There are many programs that can help to overwrite the data. Programs are readily available online. However, for the highest level of data security, ensure that you choose from a program that meets or exceeds the US Department of Defense standards for data destruction.

Obtain certifications from companies that recycle computers and electronic equipment

When approaching a recycler, ask about their policies about computer recycling and especially about their computer privacy program. The recycler should be able to provide written certification that the data on the storage media has been destroyed.

A certification detailing the removal method should also be provided. This ensures that your data has been protected. Computer owners should also take many precautions before they hand over the computer for recycling. The storage media should be completely overwritten to ensure that the data cannot be recovered.

Recyclers should be able to provide conclusive certification that all data was destroyed during computer recycling. When approaching an agency, there are a few questions that should be asked:

• The first question asked should pertain to the management policies that the recycling company adheres to. They should be able to provide conclusive evidence that their facility takes every-possible step to destroy any data remaining on computer storage media.

• Ask the recycler about the environmental management certification that his company has in place. There are various certification programs such as ISO 14001 Environmental management certification and certification by organizations such as International Association of Electronics Recyclers (IAER) or the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).

• If the recycler isn't certified, then it's important to ask whether they follow any recognized environmental management guidelines such as the EPA's Plug-in to E-Cycling Guidelines.
Conclusion

Thee questions above should give you insight into the operations of any company that does computer recycling.

Saman Rashid is an experienced writer.She has been writing articles and web copies since 3 years.To contact her, kindly visit http://www.mscopywriters.com

Gone Phishing

If you have used email in the last few years you have without a doubt seen phishing attempts first hand. Maybe it was an email that appeared to be from PayPal asking you to confirm some information about your account to prevent immediate suspension. Or perhaps it was one of the infamous Fifth Third Bank emails asking you to confirm your account. Either way, I am sure you have seen your fair share of similar messages, I know I have.

In the last year the number of phishing sites plaguing our Internet has increased over 700 percent, now over 37,000 sites. Garner estimates over over 2.8 billion dollars lost to phishing attacks in 2006 alone. 3.5 million Americans lost an average of $800 last year in phishing scams.

Blacklisting is the most common defense against phishing threats. The practice of making a list of known phishing sites and blocking them by brute force. Although this strategy is very effective against known and documented phishing sites, it quickly becomes inadequate against the speed in which new phishing sites emerge.

The most effective defense against phishing scam has been around for many years. Avoid clicking links inside email, and when you do click a link inside an email, always try to hover the mouse over the link for a few moments until the hover tool tip shows up with the real link (if your mail client supports this). When surfing the web, use a strong anti-virus like Kaspersky and a good tool such as Site Advisor from McAfee. Although Kaspersky Anti-Virus is not free, McAfee Site Advisor is. Together they are a very effective defense against the ever increasing phishing threat. As always, try to type the website address you want to go to in the address bar directly instead of using links in your email.

Get a free copy of Kaspersky Internet Security

Christopher is an Information Security Consultant for Lexan Systems L.L.C. and founder of MX Police - Spam Blocker service. You are welcome to reproduce this article on Computer Security related web site, as long as you reproduce the article in full, including this resource box and links to our websites.