ComputerForensicsDigest.com

A British data recovery firm, Disklabs Data Recovery and Computer Forensics Services, reports that nearly 70% of hard drives and flash drives purchased at random on eBay contained pornographic files.

Many of the drives also still contained valid work files containing personal information on CVs and in spreadsheets. In addition, most of the previous owners had not taken the steps necessary to wipe out the Internet cache files, which frequently retain highly personal information: user IDs, passwords, birthdates, and credit card numbers, all of which can be used to commit identity theft.

Even more disturbingly, approximately two percent of the used equipment contained images of child pornography, which Disklabs said that it promptly turned over to the authorities for investigation.

As the sale of used mobile phones grows more popular, individuals need to be aware that information can often be retrieved from those devices as well, including phone contacts, SMS messages, and photographs and videos.

Anyone thinking about selling used computer equipment or a used phone should make sure that they have it wiped clean by an experienced technician. Otherwise, the safest course is to physically destroy the hard drive or phone and then dispose of it properly.