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The Devil is in the Details (and in the Copy Machine)

By
Real Estate Technology with Carmody and Associates LLC

I have an interest in tech stuff, but I am occasionally blindsided by a story that I should have seen coming.  So to prevent my readers from having the same “YIKES” moment that I recently had while watching the news, may I relay this cautionary tale to you all. 

YOUR DIGITAL COPIER HAS A HARD DRIVE IN IT !!  And so does the digital copier at your doctor’s office, your attorney’s office, your police department, local government offices, the IRS and, probably, Nancy Pelosi’s office (I would like to get a look at that one). 

Digital copiers are great technology that permit you to manipulate images, network your copier like a printer in your office and enhance the speed and efficiency of your office operation.  Both color and black and white models are an asset to every office in the country.  But it turns out that the technology uses a lot of computer hardware, which I knew, including a large hard drive (which I had not thought about) and that images processed by the copier are kept as files on the hard drive in the copier.  Really…

So what happens to the hard drive images when you trade in your copier to upgrade to a new unit ? Beginning to see the problem, are we ?

In thousands of cases, probably tens of thousands or more,  nothing is done to secure or destroy the files on the old copier and they are taken out of your office to make room for the new copier with years of sensitive, confidential documents still on the old drives – which can be recovered by even an unskilled hacker.  Those of us who routinely remove the hard drives from old computers that are being retired may smile blissfully without a thought about the stored data that can walk out of the building when we replace a copier. 

You have been warned.

You-Tube clip from CBS News tells the story:

My source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC38D5am7go

 

 

Comments (8)

Broker Nick
South Florida Real Estate & Development, Inc. - Coconut Creek, FL
Broker Nick Relocation Broker Service

Ted - Thank you for this valuable information - I was just talking to my broker about this - it is of great concern especially nowadays with such brilliant hackers who want to steal identification -

May 14, 2010 07:30 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Ted, it's truly shocking to think that so much information could be delivered into the hands of people all too willing to use it in a malicious manner. A company with a good IT department should be able to purge the drive before they let the copier go. Looks like an ideal market for a new company.

May 14, 2010 07:31 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Ted, I had no idea. I will mentioned this to my Broker on Monday. I am sure they don't know. I have found most Brokers rent their equipment which can make is doubley open to data, as they change them out for the latest and greatest.

May 15, 2010 01:49 AM
Ted Baker
Carmody and Associates LLC - Winter Haven, FL
MidFloridaMediation.com

Missy - I am surprised at how few comments this subject has attracted.  I was astonished that I had not considered this problem.  Someone sent me the you-tube clip and I posted the article within 30 minutes - because I think this is a big deal and I had missed it.  Clearly medical offices are not complying with the HIPAA regulations, attorneys are not meeting their non-disclosure requirements, government offices are not meeting confidentiality standards.  And Realtors ?

I would expect this may become a fertile field for litigation against the manufacturers and users of this sort equipment as clients realize their personal and sensitive documents have been casually put in the hands of unauthorized third parties without a backward glance.

 

Good luck to all who read and heed this one. And thanks to those few - those happy few -  for stopping by to leave comments. 

 

May 15, 2010 02:26 AM
Broker Nick
South Florida Real Estate & Development, Inc. - Coconut Creek, FL
Broker Nick Relocation Broker Service

Congratulations this post is now featured in the Silent Majority Group of Active Rain.

May 15, 2010 02:28 AM
Melissa Anderson
Be My Neighbor Mortgage - San Antonio, TX
Your Texas Lender

I never thought about copiers being a new venue for hackers.  Lenders are scanning entire loan files these days & submitting via pdf using copier/scanners!

Wow, great topic.  I'm glad you brought this to our attention.

May 16, 2010 10:41 AM
Michael Delaware
North Sky Realty LLC - Battle Creek, MI
REALTOR®, CRS, GRI

I never looked at this.  I did not realize that the digital copier has a hard drive.  Scary thought.

May 17, 2010 11:01 AM
Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing and Online Advertising Consultant
Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision - Lake Geneva, WI

Ted,

Ouch thanks for bringing that to light. 

**THIS POST IS FEATURED IN THE E-PRO INTERNET MARKETING GROUP**

May 19, 2010 05:07 PM