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Read
This Before Recycling
That Old Computer
Thinking
about selling, donating or disposing of an old personal computer?
If so, federal officials urge you to delete financial records,
tax returns and other personal information from your PC.
Why? Because computer
files often contain Social Security numbers, birth dates, bank
account numbers and other personal information that can be used
to commit "identity theft" to make purchases or get
cash using your name.
One source of information
on the subject is a brochure originally published for National
Aeronautics and Space Administration employees by NASA's Office
of Inspector General but now available to the general public
at www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oig/hq/harddrive.pdf. It includes this
warning: Just choosing to "delete" files using the
basic commands for your keyboard or mouse won't do the job, because
the deleted information still can be easily retrieved from your
computer's hard drive. The brochure instead suggests using software
available from computer stores that is formatted to completely
erase computer files.
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