Tag: SEM

Shredding Security Levels

January 20, 2022 at 8:17 pm by Amanda Canale

When it comes to the destruction of end-of-life media in the US market, there are very strict guidelines and laws that address how classified, top secret, and controlled unclassified information (CUI) should be disposed and securely destroyed, determined by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). For example, the NSA mandates specific particle sizes for top secret and/or classified data that resides on all forms of media, and evaluates and lists end-of-life information destruction solutions for this purpose. For a list of media destructions solutions evaluated and listed by the NSA, click here.

However, most other guidelines and laws that apply to other types of government and commercial information do not provide specific destruction particle sizes to insure the most effective solution. Most simply indicate that media should be destroyed with the use of a shredder or other destruction solution. In industries like healthcare, finance, banking, education, and more, the importance of the proper disposal of end-of life media is better defined; however, the particle size specifics tend to be left open to interpretation. 

DIN Standards, otherwise known as Deutsches Institut für Normung, originated at the German Institute for Standardization, a non-government organization that serves as the national standard when it comes to improving the rationalization, safety, environmental protection, and quality assurance between the government and the public. While often not mandated, DIN guidelines serve as a widely accepted global standard that also provides clarity to vague end-of-life information destruction requirements.

Enter DIN 66399. These standards provide destruction particle size guidelines for information that resides on a wide range of media and that specifies protection categories. 

Q: What is the DIN Standard 66399?

A: DIN 66399 has become a globally accepted security standard for the shredding or destruction of all types of data media.

Q: Who is it for?

A: Sets out responsibilities regarding the protective security required for commercial organizations, government departments, and individuals to help make an informed choice of the correct equipment to guarantee all levels of secure destruction.

Introducing the Three Protection Categories

Class 1: for the normal protection required for internal data where disclosure would have a negative impact on a company or a risk of identity theft of an individual.

Class 2: for the higher protection of confidential data where disclosure would have a considerably negative effect or could breach legal obligations of a company; or offer a risk of adverse social or financial standing of an individual.

Class 3: for very high protection for confidential and top secret data which if disclosed could have terminal consequences for a company or government entity, and have a health and safety or personal freedom risk to individuals.

However, at the end of the day these regulations and protection categories are guidelines. Businesses and organizations should always err on the side of caution when it comes to the destruction of end-of-life data. It’s important to remember that a data breach is a data breach no matter the level of impact…and no matter when it takes place. There are no statute of limitations when it comes to compromised data: just because the information wasn’t misused then, doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. Therefore it is always best practice to adhere to the above regulations when it comes to your data destruction.

Six Media Categories

The DIN Association also defines six media format categories on where information may reside. They are as follows:

  • P: Paper based products
  • F: Film based products including micro-film, microfiche, slides, etc.
  • O: Optical media including CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Disks 
  • T: Magnetic data media like floppy discs, ID cards, magnetic tapes and cassettes, etc.
  • H: Hard drives from computers, laptops, and external devices
  • E: Electronic data media like memory sticks, cards, solid state drives, mobile phones

Seven Specific Security Levels 

Example: P = Paper media requirements

Protection Category

Media Paper

Security Level

Security Level Particle Size Requirement

Class 1

P

1

12mm strips or maximum particle surface area of 2,000mm²

Class 1

P

2

6mm strips or maximum particle surface area of 800mm²

Class 1

P

3

2mm strips or maximum particle surface area of 320mm²

Class 2

P

4

Maximum cross-cut particle surface area of 160mm² with a maximum strip width of 6mm = 6 x 25mm

Class 2

P

5

Maximum cross-cut particle surface area of 30mm² with a maximum strip width of 2mm = 2 x 15mm

Class 3

P

6

Maximum cross-cut particle surface area of 10mm² with a maximum strip width of 1mm = 1 x 10mm

Class 3

P

7

Maximum cross-cut particle surface area of 5mm² with a maximum strip width of 1mm = 1 x 5mm

Maximum Shred Size for Other Media

Class

Film

Max

Optical

Max

Tape

Max

Magnetic

Max

Electronic

Max

Class 1

F-1

160mm²

O-1

2000mm²

T-1

Inoperable

H-1

Inoperable

E-1

Inoperable

F-2

30mm²

O-2

800mm²

T-2

Split

H-2

Damaged

E-2

Split

F-3

10mm²

0-3

160mm²

T-3

2000mm²

H-3

Deformed

E-3

160mm²

Class 2

F-4

2.5mm²

0-4

30mm²

T-4

320mm²

H-4

2000mm²

E-4

30mm²

F-5

1mm²

0-5

10mm²

T-5

160mm²

H-5

320mm²

E-5

10mm²

Class 3

F-6

0.5mm²

O-6

5mm²

T-6

10mm²

H-6

160mm²

E-6

1mm²

F-7

0.2mm²

O-7

0.2mm²

T-7

2.5mm²

H-7

10mm²

E-7

0.5mm²

Q: How does SEM meet these requirements?

A: As a supplier of information destruction systems for the past 50 years, SEM is a leader in providing solutions to meet all destruction levels outlined in the DIN 66399 guidelines. From machines that can shred paper and optical disks to hard drives and data tapes (and more!), SEM has the answer.

Data Privacy Day 2022

January 18, 2022 at 1:59 pm by Amanda Canale

Every year on 28 January, the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) creates an informative and engaging social media campaign in an effort to bring awareness to the general public about data security and protection best practices. The international campaign is called Data Privacy Day (DPD), and heavily encourages people to comply with privacy laws and regulations, but also serves to educate people on how to protect and manage their personally identifiable information (PII).

Even in the age of Big Media, millions of people are unaware of the various ways their PII is being used, collected, shared, and even sold.  The annual campaign is targeted towards anyone with any sort of online presence. This internationally recognized day was initially established in 2008 in North America as an extension of Data Protection Day in Europe, which has been in effect since 1981. It is the first legally binding international treaty to recognize data privacy concerns. 

In 2022, the NCA has expanded Data Privacy Day into a week-long initiative called Data Privacy Week. The week, lasting from 24-28 January, is filled with various steps, goals, and webinars individuals and organizations alike can make and attend as a way of encouraging transparency about how their customer data is being used. 

You can find a full list of Data Privacy Week events here on the NCA’s website. Below, we break down the major takeaways both individuals and organizations should take from the week-long event.

Individual Level: Keep It Private

When it comes to keeping our PII and personal health information (PHI) safe, it is crucial that we follow data security and privacy best practices as that information is extremely valuable to hackers and thieves. Certain information such as your IP address, purchase history, and location can offer hackers a wealth of knowledge as to your income, spending habits, card information, and where you live. Remember, identity theft is not a joke!

If it helps to understand the criticality of keeping your information safe, imagine each piece of identifying information (whether it be your IP address or your credit card statements) as having a monetary value. According to the IBM and Ponemon Institute report, the cost of an average data breach in 2020 is approximately $3.86 million. While most of these costs are from business reputation maintenance and regulatory fines, the costs can still add up when it’s your PII on the line. (Read more in our blog here.) You wouldn’t willingly give up money from your personal wallet, so be sure not to do the same with your information.

NSC Recommended Steps to Take:

Understand the privacy/convenience tradeoff

Today, before you can even use most apps, they will ask you for access to personal information ranging from geographic location to contacts and photo albums. By allowing access to these very personal and private forms of information, you may be offering up much more than necessary. For example, why does a mindless gaming app need access to my contacts and location in order for me to play? It is best to make informed decisions on what you should do: weigh whether or not the information they are asking for is really necessary, how the benefits weigh against the tradeoff, and if you really need the app at all. 

Manage your privacy

Once you deem an app worthy of your time and phone storage, take an extra moment or two to review the app’s privacy and security settings, and adjust them to your comfort level as necessary. You can use the NCA’s Manage Your Privacy Settings page as a guideline on how you can check your favorite app’s settings. 

Protect your data

While data privacy and data security are not interchangeable, they are in fact a packaged deal. Use best practices such as creating long and intricate passwords, utilizing multi-factor authentication when possible, and using a password manager to keep your passwords secure and up to date. 

Organization Level: Respect Privacy

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, approximately 79% of adults in the US are concerned about how companies use their personal data. As an organization, the privacy of your consumers’ and customers’ data should be your utmost concern. By respecting their data and being transparent, an organization instills trust which will in turn enhance reputations and company growth. 

NSC Recommended Steps to Take:

Conduct an assessment

Regardless of if your company operates locally, nationally, or globally, it is important to understand the privacy laws and regulations of the area in which your business operates and to ensure they are being followed. In addition, evaluate your security measures, access to individuals’ personal information, and screen any outside partners and vendors as well to ensure they are not misusing your consumers’ information. 

Adopt a privacy framework

Find a privacy framework that works best for you, your organization, and your consumers to help mitigate potential risk and implement a privacy culture within your organization. The NCA recommends reviewing the following frameworks to start: NIST Privacy Framework, AICPA Privacy Management Framework, and ISO/IEC 27701 – International Standard for Privacy Information Management.

Educate employees

By creating an office culture surrounded by data privacy and data security, you are educating your employees on not only how to keep their personal information safe but how to better serve your consumers and their information. Engage staff by asking them how they view your current privacy culture, implement mandatory training and webinars, and consistently assess your current standards. 

In addition to these methods, transparency about how your collect, use, and share consumer information is crucial. Be up front and honest with your clients, users, or consumers about what they can expect their information to be used for and offer them other settings to protect their information by default.

And lastly, when your information-bearing media reaches end-of-life — whether hard drives, portable IT storage, or even paper — securely destroy it to prevent leaks and data breaches down the road.

 

How to — and How to NOT — Destroy SSDs at End-of-Life

November 24, 2021 at 4:01 pm by Amanda Canale

Since the first days of chat message boards and social media profiles, we’ve all heard the saying, “don’t put all of your information online because it never truly goes away.” The same can be said for end-of-life data and information on solid state drives (SSDs): once information is on there, it’s next to impossible to fully remove. Aside from implementing a secure, in-house destruction plan, there are numerous methods we do not recommend using. Let’s break some of those down.

Degaussing

A major misconception when it comes to data destruction is that destruction methods for hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) are interchangeable. We hate to burst your bubble but…that’s false! Degaussing is simply not an option for the destruction of end-of-life data on SSDs. Solid state drives and optical media do not require it as part of the destruction process because they do not have an inner magnetic, rotational platter that can be scrambled like HDDs do.

However, crushing and/or shredding is recommended. Since SSDs can store vast amounts of information on such small chips, even tiny, intact fragments can hold a plethora of sensitive or private data. This means that every single SSD chip must be properly destroyed and done so in a machine specifically designed to destroy solid state media and produce particles small enough to ensure that no data can be retrieved. 

Recycling and/or Throwing Away

While we always support taking the greener route, trying to recycle your end-of-life drives cannot be done securely and is not recommended. Unfortunately, the majority of our waste and recycling ends up in landfills and dumpsters which are literal gold mines for hackers and thieves. 

In addition, it is often reported that on average, recyclables and waste sit on sorting floors for up to four weeks before finally being destroyed. To top it off, recycling and waste is hardly ever transported securely, making it easy for people to intercept and have access to your most sensitive information, putting yourself at even more risk of a possible breach.

Deleting and/or Overwriting

While methods such as cryptographic erasure and data erasure would allow the drive to be used again, it is not a secure and foolproof destruction. Information, whether encrypted or unencrypted, can still linger behind on the drive and be accessed, even if it has previously been deleted or overwritten. 

ITAD

ITADs, or information technology asset disposition companies, are third-party vendors that sanitize and destroy end-of-life data and drives. While the appeal of these types of companies can be quite attractive, we at SEM do not recommend utilizing these types of companies when disposing of your end-of-life data. While there are some reputable ITAD and data sanitization companies out there, the risk may not be worth the convenience. Security risks can be unpredictable and potentially catastrophic as it can be far too easy for ITAD vendors to misuse, mishandle, and misplace drives when in transportation, destruction, or disposal. It has also been reported that some vendors sell end-of-life devices and their sensitive information to online third parties.

Other (Un)Worthy Methods

  • Running over SSDs with your car
  • Roasting your SSDs over a fire
  • Giving your SSDs a swimming lesson
  • Physical destruction with a blunt object

By physically destroying SSDs with an appropriate shredder or disintegrator, companies are choosing the most secure method of data destruction as this is the only way to be certain that the end-of-life data has been properly destroyed. SEM SSD crushers are ideal for lower volume data center destruction of solid state media, while our shredders are recommended for higher volume destruction. SEM SSD disintegrators provide the most complete chip destruction and the highest level of security, destroying SSDs and chips to the NSA’s mandated 2mm final particle.

Security Engineered Machinery Gives Back to Worcester County Food Bank

November 23, 2021 at 3:48 pm by Amanda Canale

Security Engineered Machinery Co., Inc. (SEM) and Merchants Fabrication, Inc. recently rallied together to donate a staggering 628 lbs. of non-perishable food to the Worcester County Food Bank (WCFB). 

The Worcester County Food Bank is one of only three Feeding America member food banks in the entire state of Massachusetts. In 2018 alone, the WCFB was able to distribute nearly 6.1 million lbs. of food to approximately 75,000 people throughout the county. 

SEM Accounts Receivable Coordinator, Steve Watson, posing with a full car load of donations.

Every year, and especially during the current pandemic, SEM has been committed to WCFB’s mission of helping to serve and feed our fellow neighbors. It’s one of a handful of various philanthropic opportunities the entire company looks forward to every year.

“Whether it’s the Habitat for Humanity Operation Playhouse, the November food drive, or our Toys for Tots drive in the winter, everyone comes together to help our fellow neighbors in need,” says Kristin Olson, SEM Materials Supervisor. “It’s one of my favorite parts about being on the SEM team.”

SEM Director of Marketing, Heidi White, posing with the final food donation weight total.

In just over four years, SEM has been able to increase their annual donation from 151 lbs. to now 628 lbs. with the same staff headcount. 

“Every year, without fail, we have been able to donate more and more,” says Heidi White, SEM Director of Marketing. “We are honored to give back to our community and are already looking forward to our next opportunity.”

What You Need to Know About Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October 15, 2021 at 3:15 pm by Amanda Canale

In 2004, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the US Department of Homeland Security launched Cybersecurity Awareness Month in an effort to heavily encourage, educate, and assist citizens in staying safe online and how to protect their information. In addition to this annual month-long campaign, the NCSA also runs a campaign every January 28 called Data Privacy Day (but that’s a story for a different blog).

Every year in October, the NCSA creates an engaging and informative campaign in order to raise awareness about cybersecurity. This year’s theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart” and has a subsequent theme for each week during the month of October. 

Week 1 – Be Cyber Smart

Knowing the basics of cybersecurity by creating strong passwords, multi-factor authentication methods, secure data backup options, and keeping up to date with software updates are only going to further protect you from cyberattacks. Some of these basic “cyber life skills” also include knowing the proper destruction method your data requires, how to properly destroy paper documents and hard drives, and memorizing record retention schedules.

Unfortunately, even knowing the basics won’t always be enough to prevent ourselves from getting in our own way. One of our blogs details the top five human error blind spots and offers other helpful basic tips to help you and your team become more #CyberSmart.

Week 2 – Fight the Phish

We’re all humans and we all make mistakes. It’s inevitable! However, not all are without consequences. According to a 2019 study, more than 80% of reported data security incidents were caused by phishing attacks. By interacting with suspicious email links, attachments, and senders, your risk of falling victim of a phishing scam rises. In today’s modern age, hackers and thieves have become even more creative when it comes to these kinds of scams. If an email or email address looks a bit off to you, it’s always best to either ignore or send to your IT department to investigate.

Week 3 – Explore. Experience. Share.

This week is led by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), an organization dedicated to promoting careers in the cybersecurity industry. Their messaging ranges from showcasing resources and programs (especially to encourage participation in more marginalized groups) to highlighting the demand for jobs in this field. According to their website, the Department of Labor predicts that IT and cybersecurity jobs will “be among the fastest growing and best paying jobs over the next decade.”

Week 4 – Cybersecurity First

Regardless of the kind of business or organization, having proper cybersecurity protocols and methods in place (in addition to proper in-house end-of-life data destruction!) should always be a priority. This final week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month is dedicated to educating individuals on making cybersecurity a top priority and not an afterthought. Data breaches are, unfortunately, no longer a possibility of “if” but “when.” 

IBM and Ponemon Institute reported that the cost of an average data breach in 2020 was approximately $3.86 million, a staggering 10% rise over the past five years. These costs can range anywhere from money lost and reputation maintenance to regulatory fines and ransomware, not to mention other direct and indirect costs. When comparing the cost of one of SEM’s Model 0101 at $5,066 (and an average lifespan of ten years) to a possible data breach resulting in millions of dollars, the right answer should be simple: by purchasing in-house end-of-life data destruction equipment, your company is making the most cost-effective, safest, and securest decision. The NCSA and everyone at SEM understand that some companies may want to cut corners and save costs; however, we strongly agree that cybersecurity should come first and foremost, and that it is worth every penny in the long run.

To find out more about Cybersecurity Awareness Month, visit their website here.

Security Engineered Machinery Gives Back to America’s VetDogs

October 7, 2021 at 7:21 pm by Amanda Canale

Security Engineered Machinery Co., Inc. (SEM), global leader in high security information end-of-life solutions, take teamwork, philanthropy — and dogs! — very seriously. Due to the company-wide love for these four-legged friends and utmost appreciation for those in the military, SEM employees banded together to select America’s VetDogs as their next charity opportunity.

The entire SEM and Merchants Fabrication, Inc. team spent the last two weeks of September rallying together to raise funds for America’s VetDogs, a 501©3 charity whose mission is to provide renewed independence to US Veterans, active-duty members, and first responders with disabilities. The dogs are trained and placed by the organization at no cost to the individual. 

SEM Employees with yellow labrador dog

Together, SEM and MFI were able to donate $1,450 to the organization. 

“Our company was founded by a veteran, and we work very closely with all branches of the military,” says Andrew Kelleher, SEM President. “And if you know anyone at SEM, you know that it is no secret that we love dogs here. This charity opportunity was a fun, inclusive, and unique way to honor and help those that have given so much to our country.”

To make things even more exciting, SEM team banded together to create a raffle to drive fundraising stakes. The raffle, by which employees “purchased” tickets through making donations to VetDogs, included such items as a dog gift basket, Bruins tickets, restaurant gift cards, and more.

“Everyone here loves a good competition so we decided to partner with SEM’s management team to create gift baskets that we could raffle off as a way to help drive more money to this great cause,” says Amanda Canale, Marketing Assistant. “And it worked! People were very engaged and we were able to donate a substantial amount to this great cause.”

To learn more about America’s VetDogs, visit www.vetdogs.org.

SEM Introduces New Line of Shredders for Commercial Data Center Market

September 1, 2021 at 9:00 am by Amanda Canale

Security Engineered Machinery Co., Inc. (SEM), global leader in high security information end-of-life solutions, is pleased to introduce a new line of hard drive and solid state shredder models: the SEM Model DC-S1-3 Series. This unique series of devices are specifically designed for the destruction of enterprise rotational hard drives and solid state media, such as those found in data centers. 

Designed at SEM’s Westborough, MA headquarters, the DC-S1-3 Series includes three models: the DC-S1-3 HDD for rotational hard drives, DC-S1-3 SSD for solid state drives, and DC-S1-3 HDD/SSD Combo for HDDs and SSDs. All are made in the USA and TAA compliant. 

“The DC-S1-3 series is an exciting new addition to our already extensive line of data destruction devices that was designed as a result of feedback gathered over the years from our data center clients,” commented Nicholas Cakounes, SEM CTO. “In addition to robust health and safety features, the DC-S1-3 incorporates very high torque and solid steel cutting heads to easily destroy the toughest, most dense hard drives and devices.”

The S1-3 series of devices are designed with a 3HP motor, high torque, and 3-phase power, ensuring the machines’ longevity and consistency. The S1-3 HDD and SSD both come with a single feed opening while the S1-3 HDD/SSD combo unit includes two separate feed openings and cutting chambers, one for rotational, platter-based hard drives and the other for solid state hard drives and devices. 

“Our new DC-S1-3 Series fills a gap for our data center clients when it comes to end-of-life hard drive destruction,” said Ben Figueroa, SEM Strategic Account Manager. “These devices not only offer consistent and efficient drive destruction, but also feature a compact footprint, which is so critical to our data center clients.”

In addition to rotational and solid state hard drives, the DC-S1-3 Series is ideal for the shredding of data tapes, cell phones, smartphones, optical media, memory sticks, thumb drives, PCBs, and other related electronic storage media.

For more information on the DC-S1-3 series, visit https://www.semshred.com/product/model-dc-s1-3-hdd-ssd/ and watch our YouTube video.

Are Printers and Copiers Stealing Your Information?

August 2, 2021 at 6:15 pm by Amanda Canale

Copiers, printers, and document scanners are just as much office staples as any other piece of equipment (aside from, probably, an actual stapler). While these kinds of devices are not programmed to typically store any sensitive data, they may be harboring more data than you think. Everything from new employee records, tax forms, HR documents, and other kinds of personally identifiable information (PII) and unclassified or classified information are just ticking time bombs. In this blog, we discuss how hackers can tap into your copiers and scanners and steal your private information.

Since approximately 2002, most digital copiers and printers use hard drives that store and manage all the data, documents, and images you are copying, printing, and scanning. Mix that with their web-based interfaces, and now your office serves as the perfect cocktail to lure in online hackers. (In layman’s terms, this means that your copies are essentially giant computers and vulnerable to all sorts of cyber-attacks!)

Most digital copier manufacturers offer some sort of data security feature that involves encryption and/or overwriting to ensure the safety of whatever information you are printing, copying, or scanning. So hopefully, your office’s IT department has already either installed the software to protect you and your data from cyber-attacks or has a system in place to securely sanitize that data. It’s important to discuss your device’s security features with your IT department since each device is different; you should know whether your device’s memory is automatically wiped, needs to be manually wiped on a preset schedule, or another option altogether.  Depending on what those features entail, a schedule should be set in place to ensure a routine is followed.

Some practices you and your team can integrate into your routine are using authentication or additional verification methods that include a mix of a password, card swipe, biometric information, or other similar methods. By implementing more preventive measures, you can help lower your risk of cyber-attacks.

Remember when we said that copiers are essentially giant computers? Well, that also means that their hard drives work the same as computer drives in that overwriting a drive is vastly different than reformatting or deleting. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), simply deleting the data or reformatting the copier’s hard drive “doesn’t actually alter or remove the data, but rather alters how the hard drive finds the data and combines it to make files: The data remains and may be recovered through a variety of utility software programs.” Like other hard disk drives, methods such as cryptographic erasure and data erasure would allow the drive to be used again, but these are not secure and foolproof destruction methods. Information, whether encrypted or unencrypted, can still linger behind on the drive and be accessed, even if it has previously been deleted or overwritten. (You can read more about how not to destroy hard drives in our previous blog post.)

When it comes time to destroy your copier’s end-of-life hard drives, it is always best practice to conduct destruction and degaussing in-house. To ensure the secure destruction of your data, SEM recommends always following NSA standards and degaussing all magnetic media, including hard disk drives (HDDs), prior to physical destruction in a shredder or crusher.

By degaussing the drive prior to physical destruction, organizations are choosing the most secure method of data destruction per NSA guidelines as this is the only way to be certain that the end-of-life data has been properly destroyed. When magnetic media is placed in one of our degaussers, powerful magnetic fields essentially scramble and sanitize the magnetic tapes and drives, eliminating all sensitive information from the device. This crucial step securely renders the drive completely inoperable. Once the device has been degaussed, it should be physically destroyed. This two-step method of degaussing and physical destruction — mandated by the NSA for classified media — is without a doubt the most secure method of sanitization for magnetic media such as HDDs.

Solid state drives (SSDs) and optical media cannot be degaussed, so it is critical that each and every chip on a solid state board is destroyed in order to properly sanitize the data. Depending on media type,  crushing, shredding, or disintegrating is recommended. It is also important to remember that a data breach is a data breach, no matter the level of impact. At SEM, we have solutions to securely destroy any type of media on any type of device, ensuring your end-of-life data stays where it belongs: at the end of its life.

 

Your Phone Knows What You Did Last Summer: 8 Places Your Data is Living That May Surprise You

July 6, 2021 at 8:00 am by Amanda Canale

According to a 2018 study by MightySignal, there are more than 1,000 different mobile apps available that contain some sort of location-sharing and tracking code. These codes are typically used to gather information on the public’s shopping patterns to help developers make money on targeted ads. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only kind of data some of them are gathering. In this blog, we break down eight different places your data is living that may surprise you.

Dating Sites/Apps

We all want to find love, and today with a plethora of dating apps available, it’s never been easier. However, you may be telling potential partners and app developers more than what’s in your dating profile. Apps such as Tinder and Hinge request and require access to your location in order to find potential matches in your general area.

While filling out your likes and dislikes, your location, and what you do for work may be normal things to share with your dates, putting them on your public profile for all potential suitors to see can potentially cause more harm than good. Not to mention, a large chunk of dating apps ranging from Tinder and Plenty of Fish to Hinge and OKCupid are owned by one single company: Match Group. Match Group’s numerous apps reserve the right to share data with one another, even if you’re only using one of their apps.

Photo Editing Apps

Whether it’s adding bunny ears, erasing a blemish, or making your selfie look like it was taken on a vintage Polaroid, everyone loves a good photo filter. However, most photo filter apps require, or at the very least request, access to your entire camera roll rather than the one photo you want to edit. (Remember the saying, “a picture tells a thousand words?” Imagine what kind of personal information your entire camera roll can share!) In addition, many photo editing apps also link to social media apps, not only making way for a seamless snap, edit, and post, but securing a direct access link to all your social media profiles for potential hackers.

Young woman working with a laptop. Female freelancer connecting to internet via computer. Blogger or journalist writing new article. Close-up of female hands typing on keyboard

Weather Apps

Rain or shine, there’s always a small risk your data could be leaked. While you’re not at a moderate or high risk of your data being stolen from your favorite weather app, your location and location history is still being tracked and can be collected from other apps if they are linked together.

Social Media Accounts

Since the early 2000s, the popularity of social media profiles has grown exponentially, with the most popular ones being Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. It’s now commonplace in our society for social media users to document their entire lives online in the form of vlogs, blogs, and TikToks, meaning there’s less and less of our lives that aren’t posted online. As more people share more and more personal information, the more push there is for stricter user privacy laws and regulations.

It’s always best practice to not share too much information online that can be personally identifying, such as your address, personal contact information, work location, etc. Utilize your social media accounts’ and mobile devices’ privacy settings, and remove any contact information and data from the social media sites you no longer use.

Gaming Apps

In 2018, a COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) study found that in approximately 20% of children’s apps, developers included code that collected and distributed personally identifiable information (PII) without confirming parental consent. The information often gathered by these apps range from the child’s name and email address (or parent’s depending on whose device is being used), home and mailing address, and parent information.

Mobile Wallets

Mobile wallets are a hassle-free way to pay for groceries, gifts, and more without having to dig through your wallet or purse to find your credit cards. It’s convenient being able to store all of your payment options in one place, just make sure to protect it when it comes to the safety of your digital wallet. Be sure to enable your phone’s security features, protect your phone and digital wallet with a password, fingerprint, or other authentication method, and avoid using public Wi-Fi when accessing sensitive data.

data-theft

Rental Cars (Smart Phone Connection)

You may want to rethink syncing your driving playlist or connecting your GPS to your rental car on your next road trip. If you connect to your rental car via Bluetooth, your rental car can store previous locations, phone number, call log, and even contacts, making it much easier for the next renter to hack your information. Make sure you check your permissions, avoid connecting your mobile device to the car’s infotainment system, and delete any information from the system before returning the car.

Old Laptops and Drives

By now, we all know that simply erasing information from a laptop, tablet, or drive is not enough to keep your information safe. When erasing data off a drive, it’s possible that unencrypted and encrypted information can linger and become fair game for hackers. While methods such as cryptographic and data erasure would allow the drive to be used again, it is not a secure and foolproof data destruction method. Information, whether encrypted or unencrypted, can still linger behind on the drive and be accessed, even if it has previously been deleted or overwritten.

Unfortunately, as we get further into the Digital Age, the more personal information we are knowingly (and unknowingly) sharing, the more information developers are collecting about us, and the higher the chances are of a potential data breach. While many apps, developers, and businesses claim to only be interested in tracking the public’s patterns and not identities, the information they are gathering can technically be described as personally identifiable (PII). Tracking an individual’s location as they go to work, the gym, home, and even their doctor’s office can easily lead to identifying individuals. The average app, whether Android or Apple, has approximately six different data trackers embedded into it while some applications request access to more information than what is needed.

We understand that not every app or rental car company is trying to steal your data; apps that track jogging routes or utilize the option to share your location with your loved ones serve legitimate purposes. We at SEM stress that individuals should opt for the “Ask App not to Track” option in their device’s personal settings, only share their information with legitimate apps, and be mindful about where they offer up their information.

To sanitize your end-of-life laptops and drives, we recommend revisiting some of our old blogs on hard drive destruction misconceptions and ways to NOT destroy your drives for more information. Regardless of the catalyst for your drive destruction, it is always best practice to conduct destruction and degaussing in-house and to follow NSA standards. At SEM we have an array of various high-quality NSA listed/CUI and unclassified magnetic media degaussers, IT crushers, and enterprise IT shredders to meet any regulation.

Announcing New Merchants Fabrication Production Supervisor

June 28, 2021 at 5:51 pm by Amanda Canale

SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass., Merchants Fabrication, Inc. (MFI), a full-service metal plate and structural shape manufacturer specializing in the machine building industry, is pleased to announce that Voytek Knara has been promoted within the company as Production Supervisor.

“Voytek has been an integral member of the MFI team for over a decade and has played a key role in our success thus far,” comments John Bernier, MFI General Manager. “This promotion could not be more deserving.”

Mr. Knara, who has been with the company for 17 years, has nearly 30 years total of manufacturing experience. His new role at MFI will allow Mr. Knara to bring his expansive knowledge of metal fabrication theory and procedure as well as mechanical troubleshooting to the production floor.

“I am both honored and thrilled to be able to continue my work at MFI in this new role, and am excited to help bring the company to the next level,” commented Mr. Knara.

MFI has extensive history and experience in sub-contract manufacturing work, specializing in the aerospace, paper, food and beverage, medical, and specialty equipment industries. Their capabilities range from custom fabrication work, prototyping, and custom design to waterjet cutting, CNC bending, welding, and more.