Old computers should be smashed with a hammer, says Which?

20:00 8th January 2009

Which? magazine has carried out research to highlight the importance of destroying unwanted domestic and business PCs.

Many people are tempted to sell or give away second-hand computers, believing that they have deleted all confidential files from the hard drive.

However, Which? advises against this practice, pointing out that computers will continue to hold a wealth of information that can be used by identity fraudsters.

During the course of the study, Which? obtained eight second-hand hard drives from eBay and was able to extract confidential data.

Sarah Kidner, Which? computing editor, commented: "PCs contain more valuable personal information than ever as people increasingly shop online, use social networking sites and take digital photos.

"Even if you delete your files, you'd be surprised how easy it is to recover your personal data. Such information could bring identity thieves a hefty payday."

A survey commissioned by Fellowes for National Identity Fraud Prevention Week found that half of households throw away items containing information potentially useful to identity fraud criminals.