Newer photocopiers' disk drives present risk of identity theft

[TechBear_Seattle]

Newer photocopiers' disk drives present risk of identity theft

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Consumers are bombarded with warnings about identity theft. Publicized threats range from mailbox thieves and lost laptops to the higher-tech methods of e-mail scams and corporate data invasions.

Now, experts are warning that photocopiers could be a culprit as well.

That's because most digital copiers manufactured in the past five years have disk drives — the same kind of data-storage mechanism found in computers — to reproduce documents. As a result, the seemingly innocuous machines that are commonly used to spit out copies of tax returns for millions of Americans can retain the data being scanned.

If the data on the copier's disk isn't protected with encryption or an overwrite mechanism, and if someone with malicious motives gets access to the machine, industry experts say sensitive information from original documents could get into the wrong hands.

The article continues at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003616943_copiers14.html

[Richard Steele]

1. Now we know how that nightshift guy at Kinko's can afford the BMW.

Good info. THX for posting this, TechBear!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Crimeny, I never thought of print shops

When reading and then posting this article, I had in mind the several digital copy machines we use in my office. Since I work for a brokerage firm, you can imagine the kind of information that ends up on the hard drives. But print shops.... I'm also a notary public, and I've seen how often people will get copies of identification or credit card statements or utility bills or prescriptions at the local AlphaGraphics. :scared:

[Richard Steele]

5. Sounds like one guy with a JumpDrive could retrieve EVERY document that gets copied in a day...

...in just a few minutes, then review them all at his leisure.
NOT a comforting scenario in this age of electronic "Virtual Crime".

It doesn't take a genius to see that these disks SHOULD be programmed
to auto-erase and overwrite after every job, as a default setting.

Saving that data should be a deliberate exception, not the default rule.

[SheilaT]

3. I've long thought it might be a good

idea to have my own photocopier at home. A fast check of the Office Max and Office Depot websites shows they each have one for $200.00, but I'm certain I've seen them for about $150.00 in the store. Luckily, if I want to I can afford it.

[zalinda]

4. I have an all in one printer that can work as a copier

I have to say this is the BEST printer I've ever had. I am thrifty, and I print a lot, so I looked at a lot of printers before I got this one. It is a Cannon Pixma MP780. It is a printer, fax and flat screen copier/scanner in one. It has actually 5 cartridges for printing, but I only use 4, the fifth is for printing of pictures. You can get replacement cartridges that are refillable and I've even seen a constant ink supply hook up. Now, if my cyan runs out, all I have to do is refill it, I don't have to buy a $35 cartridge with 3 colors in it. There are also generic cartridges, if you don't like refilling.

Oh, yeah, and it prints really well too.

zalinda

[Richard Steele]

6. Kick.