Forensics firm finds that many hard drives are not fully wiped clean before resale
A study conducted by forensics firm Kessler International found that more than 40 percent of the hard drives listed for sale on eBay still contain personal, private, and sensitive information otherwise thought to be erased.
During the course of one month, Kessler International purchased "a large number" of hard drives from random sources on eBay and on three separate occasions, the study says. Computer forensic engineers at Kessler were able to retrieve information on more than 40 percent of the hard drives.
Thirty-six percent of the sensitive data was found in the form of personal and confidential documents, including financial information, Kessler International says. Twenty-one percent of the data was in email, and 11 percent were sensitive corporate documents. Previous studies on used PC purchases found recoverable data on an even higher percentage of hard drives.
Have a comment on this story? Please click "Discuss" below. If you'd like to contact Dark Reading's editors directly, send us a message
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
The fuel in the new AI race: Data
April 23, 2024Securing Code in the Age of AI
April 24, 2024Beyond Spam Filters and Firewalls: Preventing Business Email Compromises in the Modern Enterprise
April 30, 2024Key Findings from the State of AppSec Report 2024
May 7, 2024Is AI Identifying Threats to Your Network?
May 14, 2024
Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
August 3, 2024Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
March 21, 2024