By Jackson Morgan, from defendingthenet.com, CastleCops Staff Writer
June 09, 2005
Computer Disposal
and
Security
Computer Disposal - Security is not only important while using your new PC, but when
disposing of your legacy or old computer equipment as well.
Information can be retrieved in several different ways once your
system leaves your house or office. In my state we have a recycling
container at the solid waste authority which you can bring your old
PC’s to. On May 31st, 2005, I decided to do an experiment and see what
people actually throw away. So, I took my trusty laptop, an
external USB hard drive shell, and waited for my first victim. (All
identities have been changed to protect the newest casualties of the TCAD)
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Leaving Your Credit
Cards At The Dump
John Doe (age – 46)
I explained my reason for being there and asked if he would like to
participate. After obliging, I asked him a few question. I got a laugh out
of this one.
Jackson – “What would you say your technical skills are?”
John – “I don’t know -bleep-, this is my son’s computer, and he said it was
broke”
So I proceeded to take his hard drive out to see what I could find.
(And boy did I find stuff) I found 64 word and excel documents containing everything
from a book report titled Trusting Human Nature to a detailed
spreadsheet titled Our Debt. John said "a year ago, we refinanced our
house, and my son helped us put this spreadsheet together of our credit cards
and miscellaneous debts". Believe it or not it, actually had the names of the
credit cards, account numbers, and amount owed on each one. After I showed
John, he asked me to check if his son was surfing on sites he was asked not
to go on. I told him the system looked clean and his son was following his
rules to a T. (You owe me Junior)
Out of 5 PC’s I saw that day, all of them had recoverable files. John
Doe’s being the worst with the Our Debt spreadsheet.
What should I
do?
There are many applications that can help you format your hard
disk drive, but even their lawyers won’t allow them to say its 100%
effective.
So, what should you do? Here are a couple ideas on computer disposal that
may help:
- Go ahead and recycle your computer in an EPA
fashion, but remove your hard disk drive and add it to your new system
for extra storage (Secure);
- Find a local company that will melt you hard disk
drive. Usually a recycler or machine shop will do this for you
(Secure, but it will cost money);
- Find a local company that will use a degaussing
machine in order to eradicate your hard disk drive (Secure, but it
will cost money);
- Use a secondary application to format your drive,
but run the program 3-5 times even if it states it’s not necessary
(99.9% secure, but still possible to recover data).
Computer
Disposal and the EPA
Make sure when you recycle your old system you comply with the
Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") guidelines. Here are some basic
facts on computer disposal that will help you.
According to the official EPA website
www.epa.gov:
- The Environmental Protection Agency has strict regulations regarding
the disposal of hazardous materials;
- Penalties for violations are distributed in the form of fines as
well as Public Service;
- Nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five
years;
- Many people discard computers every three to five years;
- In 2004, only 11 percent of personal computers retired in the U.S.
were recycled.
Conclusion
TVs and computers can contain an average of four pounds of lead
(depending on their size, make and vintage) as well as other substances of
potential concern like chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc
and brominated flame retardants. These materials need to be handled
carefully and are potential health hazards.
On top of all the chemicals and biohazards, your computer probably
contains personal information. If this information falls into the wrong
hands, you could be on the receiving end of identity theft and various forms
of fraud.
Websites that may be of interest:
Jackson Morgan,
President of 'The Technical Coalition Against Dumbness
(TCAD) :)
