In 2008, data containing financial and personal details of 1 million customers was recovered from an auctioned PC and later sold on eBay. Considering the significant advancements in software development since 2008, one can only imagine how much easier it has become to recover data from a computer hard drive, even if the owner believes they have completely formatted it before selling the computer.

The potential risks of selling off old devices without ensuring secure data erasure are substantial. To safeguard your sensitive information and protect yourself from data breaches, it is crucial to take necessary precautions before selling your desktop, laptop, or mobile phone. Here are some essential points to consider:

Data Backup: Before formatting or erasing your device, back up all important data, files, and documents to an external drive or secure cloud storage.

Use Reputable Data Erasure Software: Utilize trustworthy data erasure software to completely wipe the hard drive. This ensures that your personal information is irrecoverable. I would recommend DBAN, give it a try.

Perform Multiple Passes: For enhanced security, run multiple passes of data overwriting to make it extremely challenging for anyone to recover your deleted data.

Encrypt Your Data (if possible): Enable full disk encryption to protect your data from unauthorized access, even if the device falls into the wrong hands.

Verify Data Erasure: Double-check to ensure that no personal data remains on the device before completing the sale.

By following these essential points, you can sell your old devices with peace of mind, knowing that your personal data is protected, and minimize the risk of potential data breaches or identity theft.