Wait, aren’t we always talking about backing up your data? Saving your personal and private information? Yes, of course. But what we’re talking about today is wiping clean those old computers and devices when it’s time to move on.
When you recycle or sell an old computer, are you absolutely sure the information on your hard drive has been destroyed? If not, you could find yourself with a nasty case of identity theft.
For your home machines (desktops, laptops), there are a variety of ways to wipe your drives. A common way is the formatting and reinstallation of your computer’s operating system. For something a bit more thorough though, you should check out special software designed to nuke those private bits and bytes.
Two options for personal computers include:
BCWipe (Windows, Mac, Linux):
http://www.jetico.com/products/personal-privacy/bcwipe/
Eraser (Windows):
http://eraser.heidi.ie/
With mobile decides, data protection can be a bit trickier. While there are procedures you can use to wipe your smartphone the safest way to handle it is either destroy the device, or work with a company who guarantees to safely recycle and refurbish the device.
