Leading up to the Newark Neighborhood Watch seminar on November 17th, we’d like to pass along some useful information on protecting yourself from Identity Theft and Scams in the upcoming weeks. With technology moving at light speed, people are constantly updating and upgrading their home computer systems. Many times, people sell their old computer to recoup the high cost of the new computer. When doing so, remember that many times sensitive and personal information is unknowingly (or knowingly) stored on your PC. Crooks have been known to buy used computers, in hopes of recovering this sensitive information to use illegally. Stop them in their tracks, and make yourself a hard target by following the following guidelines prior to selling your computer. Do a complete format of the hard drive. Keep in mind though, that it is sometimes possible for a tech savvy thief to retrieve some of your information if this is not done properly. Third party programs exist that claim to completely wipe your hard drive of any information. Use caution though, and if you decide to use these programs do your research to gauge their effectiveness. The most secure method is to remove the hard drive. The hard drive is the main storage center of your computer, and this will hold the most sensitive information. Often times the hard drive is easily removable with a little know how, but if you are in doubt take it to a qualified computer repair technician. Once the hard drive is removed, your old desires to smash the computer can come to fruition. Sufficiently destroy it to the point it is unusable. Drilling holes, and using a hammer are good options. You can replace it with a new hard drive, or sell it without. Always make sure to recycle the remains, and never put it in the trash. We will be posting more information regarding identity theft and scams in a few days, and are open to suggestions on a specific topic that you may be curious about. Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] with your suggestions.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:29:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015