Calgarians reminded to destroy their old data
Posted Mar 22, 2014 2:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Many people know to shred their personal paperwork, but don’t remember to shred old electronic devices.
Discarded cellphones, computers and hard drives can all be taken from your garbage and the information stored on them can be stolen.
CPS Sgt. Brett Hodell said old electronics should be treated like paperwork.
“Safety for your electronic information is just as important as shredding your paper work, as far as bills and receipts and credit card information,” he said. “All that information is stored on your hard drive and the only way to ensure that’s safely destroyed is to head to a facility where it’s safely recycled.”
Hodell, along with other members of the Calgary Police and the Electronic Resource Association, spent the day at Market Mall making a production out of destroying old devices.
Officials are reminding Calgarians that hard drives can contain information just as sensitive as any paperwork, meaning people should take the proper measures to ensure that data is destroyed.
Police warn the biggest mistake people make when it comes to protecting their data is using weak passwords like birthdates, or worse, using the same password for every log in.
Anyone who was unable to make is to Market Mall for the demonstration can take their old electronics to most electronic stores, such as Future Shop, Staples or Best Buy, to be recycled.
