Old computers rich pickings for crooks

People who sell their old computers put themselves at risk of being defrauded or having their identities stolen because many terminals are not properly wiped of data, according to a British study.

Second-hand computers, which account for one in 12 computers in use worldwide, are a potential treasure trove of personal information that can be exploited to devastating effect, the study Second-Hand Computers and Identity Fraud said.

Professor Martin Gill of the University of Leicester and his team purchased six second-hand computers and conducted a forensic data analysis on each one using off-the-shelf computer software.

They discovered half had not been securely wiped. In one case, there had been no attempt to wipe the contents, and data from two computers could have been used by an identity thief.

"The fact that we found so much personal information through a focused study indicates the potential for fraud and identity theft from the second-hand PC market is huge," Professor Gill said.

"Simply reformatting a hard drive is not enough to make data irretrievable. Anyone disposing of a personal computer must ensure that all data is securely wiped using specialist software to wipe over every sector of the hard drive."

On one computer, the data retrieved included bank account details, correspondence with a bank noting email addresses and a previous owner's CV.

Another computer had user names and password for an online travel account and a spreadsheet with a company's details of creditors, payroll and income tax. In addition there was a list of around 250 names and addresses of past and present customers.

A recent poll in Britain showed that 40 per cent of people rated identity fraud as their No 1 concern, ahead of burglary, mugging or pickpocketing.

- REUTERS