Re: Identity theft risk

"Faolan" <celticshadows@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:45fa8527$0$8718$ed2619ec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Frogman wrote:

Just come across this article which could be very nasty
especially on machines in public places such as shops and library's.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/03/14/photocopier.risks.ap/index.html

Depends on the photocopier. Most will wipe the job after the copy
has passed through the system successfully, Essentially what happens
is when you scan a image the system will use the cache to store the
image until it gets a green light that the job is finished. It's
there in case the copier gets a jam or some other problem.
This behaviour is the default on many of the modern copiers.

Yep, but surely, normally the "Temporary (Cached)" Image File isn't
actually *Wiped*?
It's just "Deleted" - i.e. the Filing System taht controls the Hard
Disk Drive just marks the Space used by the File as available?
Until some *other* Data is Written over that location, then the Data
is still (theoretically) accessible.

<snip>
Refurbishing copiers is a common practice, which profits to be made
on them far higher than the new models. Most companies will wipe the
hard drives

Wil they actually *Wipe* the Hard Dives though?

If Profit is their main motive, then because it takes (a fair amount
of) time to actually securely *Wipe* the Drives, they may well just
"Delete" the stuff such as the Temporary Cache Files & not Wipe
(Overwrite) them?

... and reset the machine before it is installed into a new location.

Yep, but just doing a ReSet" almost certainly won't actually *Overwrite*
the Data, will it?

Of course, recovering any meaningful stuff off the Drive isn't a trivial
matter, especially since the Data is basically Binary stuff making up
the *Images* - it's not Plain ASCII (Text) Data.

To make any use of it, the Images would have to be ReConstructed from
the Binary Data - which may well be Fragmented all over the Drive -
& then the Image Files would have to be Opened up in something that
can handle/recognise the particular Image File Format that is used
& then someone would have to look at & read the Information from the
Pictures. Even when using OCR - Optical Character Recognition -
Software,
that isn't going to be a quick or easy thing to do.

In the UK most copiers are leased, hence why there is less chance
of data being compromised.

I don't follow that.
When the Firm decides to get rid of it (or when it goes back for
Servicing?) there's plenty of opportunity for someone (if they have
the time, knowledge, inclination - & motive!) to see what (if anything -
see above) in the way of Data they can get off the Hard Drive.

--
pmj


.

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