Before you turn your PC over to a repair facility – be sure to lock down your hard drive.–PC Pitstop.
Secure Your Hard Drive Before Repair
By Leo Notenboom
How do I secure a hard drive before sending it in for repair?
When sending your computer out for repair, you’re handing over everything on it, including your data. Options to secure a hard drive are limited.
How does one secure a hard drive while sending the computer to a repair facility? I have personal financial information on my hard drive and will just a password provide sufficient protection while the computer is in the shop? After the fact, is there maybe a way to find out if someone has copied the files?
What you’ve presented is actually quite a dilemma.
To answer the second part first: no. There’s simply no way to determine if your files have been copied – at least not in any way that absolutely says they were copied with malicious intent.
The problem is, there’s really no fool-proof solution to your scenario. In fact, I’ve heard of companies occasionally electing not to repair a hard drive, because it meant that sensitive data might be visible to repair technicians.
Your options to secure a hard drive are limited, but if you can plan ahead, there’s a chance.
