**
Data is stored on a computer hard drive as files. The computer also creates an
index of files stored on a hard drive. When you delete a file, the links between
the index and the file disappear. However, the bits and pieces of the deleted
file remain on the hard drive until they are overwritten by other data. As a
result, this data that remains can be retrieved with data recovery programs.
Therefore to permanently delete data from a hard drive, deleting a file is not
sufficient. To truly delete data, the hard drive must be 'wiped clean'.
**
Cleaning or overwriting your hard drive will ensure that unneeded and deleted
files are not accessible to anyone including you. Therefore, prior to cleaning a
hard drive, you must save important files to an external storage device or
transfer them to a new computer.
**
Drive destruction. If the computer contains very sensitive information, the hard
drive should be removed and physically destroyed.
** Computers also contain other hazardous materials, including mercury,
cadmium (a known carcinogen), and hexavalent chromium (shown to cause
high blood pressure, iron-poor blood, liver disease, and nerve and brain
damage in animals).
** 314 million computers will be thrown away by the end of 2010,
containing 1.2 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, 1.2
million pounds of hexavalent chromium, and 400,000 pounds of mercury.
** Imagine a worst-case scenario: Groundwater near a landfill becomes
contaminated. In a search for potentially responsible parties, a company
that had disposed of computers at the site (identified by a control tag
or manufacturer's number) could be subject to potentially costly
criminal and civil action.
** More and more companies are looking to outsource the disposition of
their electronic equipment. This is where Able IT Logistics Limited are
here to help.
** Avoid other firms that will just broker your equipment on the open
market, rather than dispose of the equipment with certification.
** Unfortunately, not all recyclers can promise to handle your equipment
responsibly. Able IT offer certification, which is legal and binding.
*************
DISPOSAL and RECYCLING COMPUTERS
All of which are serious issues that ABLE IT Logistics Ltd can resolve
easily.
Please give us a call on:
Computer recycling nowadays is easy to do and very commonplace as
computers can be easily refurbished in order to provide 3rd world
countries with older yet
functioning models of computers. Disposing of computers properly is
extremely important because if you sell your computer or give it away then
the person who
receives it has unlimited access to all of your personal information that
was stored on it. If you leave your computer in the street for anyone to
take away, then they would be able to access this private information as
well.
In a day and age where it is easy to steal someone's identity with such a
small amount of information, and companies are reaping the benefits of "ID
Theft
Prevention" plans, it is sad to think that a smart adult would forget how
much personal information they've got stored on their computer. Every time
you enter
and save a small piece of personal information into a computer, it remains
in the hard drive and usually takes a computer expert to wipe your
computer clean of all of the tiny bits of your personal information. Any
time you save a password or send an e-mail, that information remains no
matter how many times you clean the "cookies" and free up some memory.
Any time you order something over the internet using a credit card number,
that number gets sent to the company and is usually stored in their memory
so that
the next time you visit their website, shopping and paying is quicker and
easier. As many as 14 million People worldwide have their identity stolen
every year, but sadly, most of these victims are cautious consumers who
happen to be targeted because of one little mistake. Disposing of your
computer the wrong way could be the one little mistake that your creepy
neighbor is waiting on in order for them to gain access to an abundance of
your personal information.
With your personal information at the tip of their fingers, identity
thieves can easily commit fraud by opening up new credit cards under your
name and billing
address, using your social security number to obtain illegal employment,
get a loan or mortgage under your name, or even just an ID card with your
name and their picture. There are no limits to what an identity thief can
do with your personal information, and their reach stretches further if
they have access to your e-mail accounts and internet pay systems.
The best way to protect yourself against identity theft is obviously to be
a conscious consumer when it comes to using your credit cards, watch your
credit history and make sure that details such as billing statements
coincide with your personal records. It's important to watch what and
where you spend your money, and to make sure it's only you doing the
spending with your accounts.
It's okay to save personal information on your computer, as long as your
computer remains in your hands. Once you are done with a computer either
because it's old or broken or you're ready for an upgrade, there is only
one safe way to dispose or recycle your old computer. In order to insure
safety of your personal data and comply with environmental standards for
computer disposal, your computer must be sent to a computer disposal or
recycling company. Businesses such as those will properly dismantle a
non-useable computer or will remove all of your personal information so
that the computer is ready to be refurbished. Either way, years worth of
your personal information that you entered into your computer will be
properly wiped away and the theft of your identity via your trashed
computer will no longer be a concern.
Courtesy: Sam Brown, a environmentalist, specializes in solutions to help
reduce waste. Article Base
UK
COMPUTER DISPOSALS.co.uk