[EAS]Used Computer Secrets

[pjk]

Subject:   Used Computer Secrets

(from NewsScan Daily, 16 January 2003)

JUNKED HARD DRIVES YIELD LOTS OF PERSONAL DATA
MIT graduate students Simson Garfinkel and Abhi Shelat bought 158
hard  drives at second hand computer stores and eBay over a two-year
period, and found that more than half of those that were functional
contained recoverable files, most of which contained "significant
personal information." The data included medical correspondence,
love letters, pornography and 5,000 credit card numbers. The
investigation calls into  question PC users' assumptions when they
donate or junk old computers -- 51 of the 129 working drives had
been reformatted, and 19 of those still contained recoverable data.
The only surefire way to erase a hard drive is to "squeeze" it --
writing over the old information with new data, preferably several
times -- but few people go to the trouble. The findings  of the
study will be published in the IEEE Security & Privacy journal 
Friday. (AP 16 Jan 2003)
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030116/D7OJBBBG0.html