| Imagine that you are the proud owner of a brand | | | | computers online, from charity shops, or |
| new computer. You can't wait to transfer all your | | | | scavenge them from dumpsters just to get at |
| old files and get to work on it. We've all been | | | | the information. |
| there and it's so exciting-the new machine is | | | | You might think you don't have anything worth |
| faster, better-looking and includes some awesome | | | | stealing on your hard drive? But just think for a |
| features. | | | | moment about the things that might be |
| But what are we going to do with the old one? | | | | there--family address, photographs, bank or tax |
| Maybe we're handing it down to someone in the | | | | records, your social security number? What about |
| family? Or selling it on eBay or Craigslist? Or | | | | passwords, or business documents that you |
| maybe we're feeling more charitable and we're | | | | worked on at home--you might even have a legal |
| going to give it to Goodwill or another good | | | | obligation to dispose of those safely? |
| cause? | | | | It only takes a few scraps of information for a |
| Whatever we choose to do with it, the most | | | | thief to piece together enough background to |
| important thing is to get rid of all the personal | | | | steal your identity--and the first you will know |
| information that has built up on it. | | | | about it is when your credit card is refused, or a |
| Maybe you think you've already done that? You | | | | check returned for insufficient funds. It can take 2 |
| deleted everything? Or maybe you realize that | | | | or 3 years to rebuild your credit status once your |
| deleted files can be reconstructed so you went | | | | identity has bee assumed by someone else--and |
| the whole nine yards and reformatted the hard | | | | you never feel secure again. |
| drive? So you think you're safe now? Not so fast! | | | | So what can you do to prevent the theft of your |
| Even after a full reformatting of the disk, a lot of | | | | information? The only real way to guarantee that |
| the original data can be recovered by a | | | | data is unrecoverable is to use a data wipe utility |
| determined thief with the right software. | | | | to clean your old hard drive. This utility will |
| Perhaps you think no one would be interested in | | | | overwrite the disk numerous times with random |
| going to those lengths to see what was once | | | | characters to make sure that the original data |
| stored on your computer? You couldn't be further | | | | cannot be reconstructed. |
| from the truth! Identity thieves regularly buy old | | | | |