So you have a list of procedures in place to ensure that your electronic data is fully secure? But have you ever considered hardware other than your computers? How about your trusty photocopier which sits innocently in the corner of the office? Did you know that since 2002 many contain hard drives which store items that were printed, copied or faxed?

A recent study was conducted in the US on second hand photocopiers. In the study 3 were purchased from a warehouse which deals in second hand office equipment. The hard drives were then checked using software found free on the web.

The machines contained tens of thousands of images from a sex offenders database, detailed design plans of a new development, & 300 pages of medical records. All of this information was highly confidential & potentially very damaging.

So what do you do? Check that your printer includes software which automatically clears the images. If not take this up with your supplier. They should be able to advice on how your hard drive can be cleared. Whatever you do, ensure your hard drive is clear before you sell or dispose of your printer. You never know – your business may depend on it!