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imaginator

i'm no computer expert. and i don't know how gadgets work. i usually come here to learn (and more often than not, only understand a fraction of what i read), but i wonder if anyone else saw this on the Associated Press this afternoon...or have been victimized by it.

News Story: "Pre-Installed Viruses"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080313/ap_on_hi_te/factory_installed_viruses

i don't own an ipod or other such...but i AM looking at my new external hard drive with suspicion after this.
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louzucaro · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:

That's an interesting story, but notice that a LOT of what's reported in there is reported by consumers. I'm not denying that this sort of thing happens, as is evidenced by the manufacturers and retailers who've discussed it openly, but Grandma Betty shouting "My digital picture frame gave me a virus!" doesn't make it so.

Take this stuff with a grain of salt and just let it sit in the back of your head someplace so that you know it's possible. But unlikely.
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Lou Zucaro
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"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"

Yoda117 · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject:

louzucaro · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:09 pm Post subject:

I realize that...my point is that people need to examine the source.
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Lou Zucaro
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Yoda117 · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:04 pm Post subject:

billelder · Guest

I heard a story the other day of used hard drives carrying people's Social Security number, bank accounts and passwords. The bottom line is if you have a hard drive updated or replaced, be sure to ask for the old drive back. There was some discussion of the Apple Stores keeping old drives of customers when people upgrade to a bigger drive. Apple then sells them as refurbished. However, personal information was still on them when folks bought them because they weren't "wiped" multi times. Same story on many used drives you get on E-Bay.

louzucaro · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:09 am Post subject:

Yes this is very true.

It's a tricky subject because people are loathe to just throw the things out since there's so much recyclable goodness in them.

This page (link below) has a brief discussion on a data destruction utility, but the comments below the article are even more fun...and not just funny, there's some good advice in there.

Especially if you've got stuff like bank info on your hard drive (this includes if you've used online services for which login data of yours might be cached on the drive), then consider physical destruction of the HD.

http://lifehacker.com/software/how-to/erase-a-hard-drive-for-good-257376.php
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"

todd ellis · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:53 am Post subject:

if you should ever need a secure document/data destruction service, and can't find anybody local, ship it to me and i'll give it to a local client DataLock.

they are great people, have all the security in place and do a great job.
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
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Yoda117 · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:54 am Post subject:

Loads of good freebies on the web for those looking to encrypt or erase their drives. Hit some of the security sites (isc.sans.org) and use some of the recommended stuff from folks out in the field.

I'd share, but I write my own...and am paranoid Smile

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