Stop old data from exposing you to ID theft
It’s the time of year when many of us clean out closets, basements, and attics. Maybe you’ve found some old electronics that are just gathering dust. Whether you’re selling, donating, or recycling them, before you get rid of your older tech, there are a few simple but important steps you need to take. Just deleting files and logging out is not enough, according to Consumer Reports.
Anything that might be stored locally on a device, like photos, videos, or any personal documents, may still be on there if the only thing you’ve done is log out of different accounts.
First, back things up using an external drive or cloud-based service. Then search online for specific factory reset directions for your device. It can be done on laptops, tablets, smartphones, wearable tech, and more.
Even after a factory reset, a very determined hacker could still access your old files. Although that’s very unlikely, you have other options that are more permanent, though it could decrease the value of your tech.
Say you’re selling a laptop on eBay or something like that. You could just physically remove the hard drive so that when you sell it (or give it to someone else), your data is no longer there because the hard drive is no longer there.
More extreme measures include destroying the hard drive or even destroying, then recycling, the device itself.
Consumer Reports says other devices that also need a factory reset include TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices like Roku. These all have your data, so you want to make sure to get rid of it before passing it on to the next person.
It's also important to remove any external storage in your devices, like microSD cards. And for smartphones and tablets with cellular, you’ll also want to find and remove the SIM card. If you don’t have the tool to remove it that came with your device, you can use a paper clip instead.
Our data is held in so many places by many different companies that have been subjected to breaches, so there's no point in letting your old tech add to the burden of new identity theft problems.
Files from Consumer Reports
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.