Interesting Story in the News Today

[Steven G Webb]

I saw a thought provoking story on the evening news tonight. Did you know that nearly every copier made since 2002 has a hard drive inside that keeps a digital copy of every document the machine processes? This HDD contains every copy, fax and email image its ever spit out. I am among the 60% of average Americans who did not know this. It gets only marginally more disturbing.

A huge portion of digital copiers used by large businesses are not owned, but leased, I suppose its the tax advantage. So, what becomes of these computers that just happen to make duplicate images and keep a copy in permanent memory when the lease is up, or when traded in on a new model? Just like lease returned cars with mileage on the odometer that's permanent, they are sold by used equipment dealers. Oh yeah, used office brokerage is a major business. Seems no question is asked about the copier's history or previous use. There are just warehouses full of used machines awaiting purchase and no one seems to care about the secrets hiden just inside an access panel.

The news story included the following of a man who demonstrated just what you can dig up. For about $300 each, 3 copiers were picked based on the image count. Within three hours the machines were delivered and half an hour later the hard drives had been removed. Then using redily available interent downlaoded free software within 12 total hours all the documents were recovered. Get this, one of the machines came from the Sex Crimes Unit of a major police department, another from a Narcotics Unit from another police agency and the thrid from a major insurance comapny. Your wildest imagination cant exceed the documents that were recovered and the personal information. Suspect and victim information, copies of checks, medical and prescribtion data. And no one seems to be concerned.

Just so happens that one mfg. company offers for sale an incription and shredding program as an option for an additional $500/machine. Few purchasers include that option, obvioulsy not the ones who are providing copiers for a couple of police departments and an insurance company. When does this digital madness end? I used to work for a DoD contractor and there were proceedures for making photocopies (digital imaging had not been born) which involved steps to asure there were no traces of a copied document left on the drum inside the machine. If it was feasable that sensitive date might be recovered from a simple copy machine, why didn't someone think though there being a viable recorded image stored in the thing?

The news story ended with a little more information about the destination of a lot [as in a group pruchased as a single unit, a lot] of these used machines. They had been purchased and were being shipped to the customer in Argentina. So next time you are tempted to drop your pants and sit on the glass and copy your groove thing, remember some where, some time when you least expect it, some identity hi-jacker is going to have your @**.

[Killjoy]

I saw the same story. My wife didn't quite get what they were trying to say until I said "What if you had copied your drivers license, your birth certificate or your social security card?"
Then she understood the possible damage.

I think I'll stick with my little scanner at home for making copies of things like that.

[transcape5]

That is disturbing, and I don't mean the copying your groove thing.

[nu2scene]

Wow.

[Dave R.]

Not to make light of this, but the story was apparently presented by the news media. I can only speak for my area, but I would take a portion of this as BS. The sensationalism the news folks tend to spew has me looking at them like they are Chicken Little.
The sky's falling...The sky's falling

[ohenry]

Kind of gives me a warm fuzzy again about those times I sat on the Xerox naked and sent out the shots over the fax machine.

[Killjoy]

There are two possible results from that story Dave.

One, the used office machine business just picked up due to wanna-be copycat crooks trying to score some personal information.
Or two, the used office machine business will start destroying that info before they sell those machines.