Study: Wide Array of Private Data on Secondhand Drives, a Reminder to Discard With Discretion
Oct 15
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire performed a study examining secondhand hard disk drives and found they often contained data from their previous owners.
Art Exhibit Focuses on E-Waste Data Dangers
Jun 6
A duo of artists known as KairUs curious about private data breaches and e-waste created an exhibition of artworks entitled “Forensic Fantasies”. Highlighting some key issues and effects related to e-waste dumps in places like Ghana, a topic we’ve covered before, they look at some interesting intersections of technology, the environment, and society.
International Data Privacy Day: Strong, Sensitive, Secure
Jan 25
While the majority of North Americans were asking Santa for new tech, we were busy building a contingency plan to protect our existing devices. In December, we were all wishing for things. In January, it’s time to take action to protect our technology and sensitive data from prying eyes, ears, and keyboards.
How to Demolish Old Hard Drive Data (keeping your data safe, the logical way)
Mar 24
If you have a computer that you are getting rid of you need to take special care of the data you have stored inside it. Whatever information you have saved on the hard drive inside: photos, documents, financial files, passwords, emails — personal information, does not simply go away if you hit delete or drop stuff in the Recycle Bin.
Ben Popken at NBC did a video showing some low-tech solutions to this problem. He trashes hard drives with everything from hammers and baseball bats, to submerging in water and burning with fire. Watch the video after the jump.
Where Is Cloud Data Actually Stored?
Feb 25
With the rise in popularity of cloud-based data storage, more people are asking where and how information is actually stored by cloud providers. More precisely, what exactly is the ‘cloud’, and how secure is storing and sending information through the virtual network? It’s important to have a basic understanding of how your information is being handled–particularly the aspects of a service provider that you should be cognizant of in order to ensure the safety and privacy of your data.
Data Safety on and off the Internet
Feb 9
If data safety was a coin, data protection would be one of the sides and the other would be data destruction. On Safer Internet Day, we’re thinking about how all of our data – information we create, information created about us, etc – relates to our safety.
Digital Universe of Data Continues to Grow
Apr 28
The IDC is in with their latest report on the ever-expanding ‘Digital Universe’. Latest figures highlight that the world’s data is up to a staggering 4.4 ZETTAbytes.
Storage for Students
Sep 3
Summer is over. That is the sad reality for many students. For the upcoming school year, here are some suggestions for students who need that somewhere to store important data.
Go-Go-Gadgets, Gone!
May 13
Today’s gadgets are smarter, faster, and more mobile than ever before. Our high-tech electronics allow us to work or play on the go, but also make a tempting target for thieves.
Back to School Advice for Parents (and Students with Laptops, too)
Aug 20
In today’s world of e-gadgets, a new or used laptop or personal computer may also be on the Back-to-School shopping list.
Here’s some advice for parents.
Dangers of DIY Data Recovery
Jan 11
Sometimes a little bit of knowledge can lead to bad things. Often we get calls from IT professionals who require data recovery services. As they explain the symptoms of the failure they proceed to explain what they have already attempted. This is when a $500 recovery can turn into...
When a backup drive is not a "backup"
Nov 28
Many times we get customers who bring in their external drives just after a crash. Often the external drive is referred to as their “backup”.
“I copied all of my data to my backup and it failed …”
Well, what about your original data? You mean this was your only copy?...
Heads and Tales: CBL Found the File No Other Company Could
May 10
Marianne Richmond, owner of Marianne Richmond Studios in Minneapolis, had almost given up on data recovery specialists when her personal computer’s hard drive failed last year. Nobody could find the only file she desperately wanted — her personal journal for the past 10 years.
Her 500-page journal was crammed...
