Getting
rid of your old electronics? Whether you’re donating, selling, or
recycling your aging gear, you’ll want to take the following steps to
make sure your data stays safe and your gear goes where it’s supposed
to. And, no, these steps are not optional.
1. Back that thang up!The
first thing to do before you part with any piece of electronics is to
make sure you have copies of the data that was on it — especially
information that’s difficult or impossible to replace, like photos,
videos, and contacts. If you don’t use an automated PC backup service
like Backblaze or Carbonite,
you’ll want to copy files manually (preferably to an external storage
device like a thumb drive or a DVD). If you have an Android or iOS
device, make sure you’ve activated Google Auto Backup or Apple’s iCloud service; you also want to go into your data vault and make sure that the files you need are really there.
2. Wipe it down.Do
not assume that whoever gets your old gear will remove your data from
it; be safe and do the job yourself. Otherwise you could leave yourself
wide open to identity theft. And don’t think for one minute that
deleting your Documents folder or even reformatting your hard drive is
enough. Last year, Intel Security's online expert Robert Siciliano
bought 30 used computers via Craigslist and went through their hard
drives with a forensics expert. Half of the machines that had been
reformatted still contained personal data from their previous owners.
InterConnection.org uses Active KillDisk to wipe Windows PCs, which comes in a freeware version. Mac owners can use the OS X Disk Utility or White Canyon Software’s WipeDrive.
A factory reset should be enough to secure most recent smartphones,
provided that you remove any SIM cards that could contain personal info,
Siciliano says. But to be ultra safe, use Blancco Mobile to wipe Android and iOS phones.
3. If you can’t wipe it, destroy it.If
you’re not planning to donate or resell your electronics, it’s better
to simply destroy any part of them that contained your data, Siciliano
says. For example, I recently recycled a laptop that was missing its
power supply, so there was no way to turn it on and wipe the disc.
Instead I removed the hard drive with a screwdriver, ran over the drive
with my car, and then took a sledgehammer to it. (Aside from protecting
my personal data, it was also a lot of fun.)
4. Recycle the right way.Even
if you donate or resell your old gear, some or all of it may end up
being recycled — and not all recyclers are created equal. You want to
make sure that your e-waste isn’t ending up in a landfill or dumped in some Third World country. The best way to do that is to ask who does the company’s downstream recycling, and make sure it’s part of either the e-Stewards or R2 (Responsible Recycling) certification programs, which ensure that all materials are handled in an environmentally responsible way.
5. Keep records.If
you donate equipment to a school or a nonprofit, you’ll want to let the
IRS know so you can get a little something back on your taxes. Document
your donation with a receipt, and make sure it falls within Uncle Sam’s guidelines for charitable giving.
