Quote:
Originally Posted by 2ill4brasil
.... I guess I'll just sell the HD
Anyone want a 60GB Fujitsu laptop HD? haha  |
STOP - Do not sell the HD until you have given serious consideration to the security implications...
A HD. even reformatted, will still hold enough data for someone to gain access to it. That can lead to ID Theft or access to other 'sensitive' details such as Bank account info, eVBay/Paypal details etc.
I know that there are 'Military/DoD' grade HD scrubbers out there that purport to be able to totally 'clean' a HD. However, I would generally suggest that you 'mentally' write it off and give the hd the good news with a hammer. The only way of being totally sure that no one can gain access to its content AND to have total peace of mind is to physically destroy it.
Anecdote: Last month, a buddy in Tennassee had a 'dead' HD - he sent it to me. All I had to do was swap the dead driver board with a spare one in my junk box. I recovered several Gb of personal data for him. INCLUDING IRS details going back to year 2000 for several people, including bank details. (His wife does IRS stuff for many friends/family)
He was going to 'throw' the HD away as 'stuffed'! I hate to think what damage, financially, would have been done if that drive fell into the wrong hands.
Finally, if you are so inclined, take the HD apart. You will find therein 2 of the most powerful magnets that most people will ever see... Take the platters out and use 'em for coasters!
