You wouldn't (or at least I hope you wouldn't) toss your bank statements or health records into the recycling bin without shredding them. But if you throw out higher-end multi-function printers without removing the hard drives, you're asking for trouble, says Kevin Brown, a testing manager at ICSA Labs, which tests security products. That's because some digital copiers and printers retain copies of everything they produce on a hard drive or flash storage module. If somebody finds that device, it's no trick at all to read it.
Yes, that sounds far-fetched. But the Federal Communication Commission is concerned enough that it is investigating this issue and some copier makers are giving away software that will help you wipe a drive clean. And remember, simply deleting files doesn't make the information disappear. It just makes it harder to find.
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