3 Devices That You Should Always Wipe in Bradenton

Experts estimate that the average cost of data theft in 2020 topped $3.8 million. Bradenton offices and homes are as susceptible to information breaches as they are in any other part of the world.

That’s why data wiping is so important. Data wiping is a process that renders old hard drive information unreadable. It doesn’t remove the data, but it overwrites it through several passes. Data wiping makes deleted data inaccessible while preserving current data (not to mention the hard drive).

Three devices, in particular, should undergo periodic data wiping.

Computers

When you delete an old file from your computer’s hard drive, the data doesn’t go away entirely. It’s marked as “deleted” and disappears from your file directories. The space that it used to occupy is made available for new data.

But especially with office computers, that doesn’t mean that your sensitive information is out of reach. If a computer is recycled or reassigned, “deleted” data may still linger unseen on the hard drive. Data and identity thieves can still find ways to get personal info, including account numbers, addresses, and phone numbers.

Mere recycling doesn’t eliminate this threat. A complete data wipe better protects your office computer network. It’s a good idea for your home computer, too.

Smartphones

Smartphones use the same general deletion process as computer drives. Basic data deletion steps don’t get rid of everything.

Some smartphone users believe that a “factory reset” will make all of their data disappear. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. As with hard drive file deletion, a factory reset only marks files as “deleted.” But the information is still there. Hackers can access it with standard data recovery software.

When a smartphone is data-wiped, deleted files aren’t just “turned off.” They’re also put through encryption, which scrambles information so it’s unreadable, even if hackers get their hands on it.

Gaming Consoles

Gaming consoles aren’t stand-alone units anymore. Interactive gameplay is a key feature of all gaming systems. A player stores personal information on their console’s hard drive. That means, just like any other electronic device, gaming consoles can be hacked.

Consoles can also be factory-reset back to their default states. But as with smartphones, that doesn’t eliminate all data. Media and SD cards can also contain information that hackers can exploit.

ShredQuick:  Bradenton’s Complete Data Wiping Solution

Real, thorough data wiping is a complicated process that truly renders data irretrievable. ShredQuick helps all Bradenton businesses and families to keep their information safe with our data wiping solutions. Contact us to find out more.