Bet most didn't know this

 
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Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

Yup

I stopped using public copiers years ago. Just think about it the next time you use one in a public library, work or at FedEx Kinko's.

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Tampa, FL - Garmin nüvi 660 (Software Ver 4.90), 2021.20 CN NA NT maps | Magellan Meridian Gold

I hadn't

Until I saw that report several weeks ago. Shocking.
Just goes to show you you have absolutely no control over your personal information. If someone is going to steal your identity, they will... I guess I should make that WHEN they have the opportunity to steal it, they will.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

That's the main reason I

That's the main reason I bought a multi-function printer. Makes one wonder how many more devices capture personal data.

thumbs Up

Glens Sonoma wrote:

That's the main reason I bought a multi-function printer. Makes one wonder how many more devices capture personal data.

Me too.

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Tampa, FL - Garmin nüvi 660 (Software Ver 4.90), 2021.20 CN NA NT maps | Magellan Meridian Gold

Thanks to home scanners

Thanks to home scanners we no longer make copies of our Tax Return at our local post office.
How long does the copier hold the information?

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Mary, Nuvi 2450, Garmin Viago, Honda Navigation, Nuvi 750 (gave to son)

.

This problem only occurs in copiers with a hard drive. Home units use small memory, and most is buffered on the computer itself.

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nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK

Been known for a few years...

... In many parts of the high-tech world. I used to work in the R&D labs of a big silicon valley company. When Corporate wanted to "upgrade" our local copiers, they were somewhat surprised when we refused. After some education, corporate not only agreed not to put disc-based units in our area, but also worked with the vendor on the issues.

With some computers, before they're recycled, the disc drives take a quick trip to the drill press -- a high speed drill bit does wonders for making data hard to retrieve. Not impossible, but hard, very hard.

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Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows

Ouch!

Ouch!

Depends

mgarledge wrote:

How long does the copier hold the information?

The size of the HDD will determine how many pages it will store before the oldest ones will be over written. That will depend on how often each individual copier is used.

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Tampa, FL - Garmin nüvi 660 (Software Ver 4.90), 2021.20 CN NA NT maps | Magellan Meridian Gold

yikes

yikes

Ricoh and Konicaminolta

Ricoh and Konicaminolta copiers use a proprietary software to write and read the built in HDD's. All copiers that do have an HDD in them also have a format, both low and high level, formatting options. Another thing that can be done is to request the HDD drive from the vendor to dispose of the info and the drive yourself. Most of these are 40GB drives. Even a few that we have that are advertised to have 120GB actually have 3 40's in a RAID configuration. When one goes bad we need to replace all three at the same time.

Not sure about the ink above but the video I saw most of the copiers were 5 years old or older. Technology has changed to make these more secure. Also Ricoh and Konicaminolta both sell and add-on board that randomly erases and rewrite the HDD as needed. Most customers are either unaware of this or feel it cost's to much money for the additional security.

Been working on these machines for 18 years now and yet to have customer question us on what happens to the HDD and their info.

The problem

isn't so much with the copiers at those places that make copies for you but at your Doctors office, the DMV office, your lawyers office etc.. They all make and distribute copies everywhere.

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If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

Bet most didn't know this

It's just best to go out and get your own copier or scaner.

ohwogo nuvi 750

wow

wow

WOW!

That was very interesting. I learned something new today.

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Nuvi 660. Nuvi 40 Check out. www.houserentalsorlando.com Irish Saying. A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.

Thanks for the heads up

I had no idea

Thanks

Thanks for the info. I'd never thought that copiers have a HD until I saw this video.

Thanks for the info.

I use my own copier.

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GPSmap76Cx handheld, Nuvi 2557LMT, Nuvfi 2598LMTHD

You can run . . .

but you cannot hide. With the technology and advancement of computers your personal information is no longer personal.

wow

BobDee wrote:

This is alarming. I didn't realize this information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pIFUOav2xE

Holy cow, pretty outrageous. The encryption / wipe feature should be standard in all copiers!!!

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http://www.poi-factory.com/node/21626 - red light cameras do not work

Not just copiers

wknight40 wrote:

... Been working on these machines for 18 years now and yet to have customer question us on what happens to the HDD and their info.

This is not uncommon. I have serviced machines where the HDD was exchanged due to failure. On many sophisticated systems, the failure is predictive, that is no failure has occurred, but logs indicated a trend towards a failure and the drive is replaced pro-actively to avoid unscheduled downtime or potential data loss. It has been my experience that only government agencies and a handful of national accounts require that they keep the replaced drive for a contracted fee. The vast majority are simply returned for analysis/refurb/scrap. The replacement (refurbed?) drives I get are supposed to be clean, but over the years, I have had a couple that already had an OS and were bootable! In that case, I used tools to perform a DOD level wipe the drive before installing it in the customer's system and reported the incident to management.

We are trained to preserve the security and integrity of our customer's data. But so many companies now outsource things such as parts refurbishment, that there is opportunity for items to more easily slip through the cracks. If it was my machine, I'd demand to keep the replaced HDD and run it through a drill press if it was not possible to do a DOD wipe on it.

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"There's no substitute for local knowledge" nüvi 750, nüvi 3597

"I use my own copier"?

Those who wrote that they use their own copier didn't read, view or understand the point of the story. These copies are not the ones you use personally. These are copiers used by your doctor's office, your health insurance company, by various government entities, you employer, etc, etc, etc.

They are copying documents with your social security numbers, bank account numbers, pay stubs, you name it. For the most part these copiers are leased, so when the lease is up they get wheeled out of the office where all the documents were scanned to end up in the hands of who knows. Without the drives being scrubbed.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

But That's Just The Minor Part Of The Problem..!!

Let's realisticly look at this from a common sense point of view.

You go to your Doctor's/insurance office, automobile dealership, etc., etc. and hand them a written copy of the above copier HD information.. along with a VHS/DVD "YouTube" video.

And what do you think is going to happen? Do you really believe that they're going to read the several pages you just gave them.. let alone look at the video?

And even if they do. How much confidence do you have in them that anything is going to be done to protect (let alone erase), your private info..!!?

Let's face facts, that probability is between none.. and next to none. Put yourself in their place. Would YOU go out of your way, both in extra time and expense, to do so?

Nuvi1300WTGPS

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I'm not really lost.... just temporarily misplaced!

They must have done a thing

They must have done a thing on this recently because I just heard this exact story on a radio news station that I listen to 2 wks ago. Interesting.

This "story" has been around for several years

This "story" about the drives in copiers has been around for several years and like many others they trot out every now and then to panic people.

How many of you remember the standalone print server computers we used with our networks? Those had hard drives as well. Well, the drive moved when they put the server software in the machine.

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ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet

good to know. thx

good to know. thx

Discarded Hard Drive -

When I discard a HDD, I take it apart, degauss each platter, then cut them into 4ths. Hopefully, it would be difficult to remove any data from them.

overkill

but smart

Fun with gear 101.... As

Fun with gear 101....

As stated, its only an issue with gear with a hard drive..
But that doesnt mitigage anything. Your info can be copied by somebody else elsewhere.

Another fun trick is setting up a web server on HP printers. Plus...using that HD space as stealth storage.

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Nuvi 350 Born Oct 07 - Nuvi 660 Unit #2 (re)Born Sept 08 - Nuvi 360(Gift to 'the chick' yet maintained by myself) Born July 08

WoW!!! Thanks for the info.

WoW!!! Thanks for the info.

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Garmin Nuvi 2555 LMT, Street Pilot C340, nuvi 265WT, Mio Moov 300, nuvi 255W, Navigon 2100 (Retired)

College Campus's

dood wrote:

Fun with gear 101....

As stated, its only an issue with gear with a hard drive..
But that doesnt mitigage anything. Your info can be copied by somebody else elsewhere.

Another fun trick is setting up a web server on HP printers. Plus...using that HD space as stealth storage.

This happens a lot around college campus's. They'll use a copier or print server HDD, such as a Fiery, as storage to share music and other files.

thanks for this info

wonder what else big brother knows

Scary

Seemingly no matter how careful you are, someone else messes it up for you.