An article at CNET News.com claims that there is a sufficient problem with information security on old hard disk drives. Expert claim that simple delete and format actions do not bring total data disappearance from an HDD. Such valuable information as bank account passwords could be found later by some people who know where and how to look.
?For people who want to sell or donate a computer, who are trying to protect their checkbook or medical info, you can expect to protect yourself against all but the most sophisticated attacks with wiping. But you have to use the software the right way,?said Stephen Lawton, the director of marketing at Acronis, a maker of wiping tools, backup and recovery software.
?Even the people who destroy disks will tell you (that) unless you do that correctly, there are always people who can get the data off,?he added.
Because of the huge importance of the data security, organizations such as the National Association for Information Destruction constantly test wiping applications that may bring adequate data destruction. So far the tests had left reason to doubt the wiping products.
?Our position, ultimately, was that we will only give our approval to physical destruction of the hard drive. We know that unless that is done a certain way, even that can be an ineffective approach,?said Bob Johnson, executive director at NAID.
- CNET News.com: Skeletons on Your Hard Drive.
