Survey: 40% of hard drives bought on ebay hold personal, corporate data
As computers become more of a commodity, easily discarded for a newer model, we need to be vigilant about the information stored on them when they leave our possession. re.Source Partners is committed to helping you secure and destroy the data on your corporate assets before they are put up for return to a lease company or resold through our asset recovery program...

February 10, 2009 (Computerworld) A New York computer forensics firm found that 40% of the hard disk drives it recently purchased in bulk orders on eBay contained personal, private and sensitive information -- everything from corporate financial data to the Web-surfing history and downloads of a man with a foot fetish.

Kessler International conducted the study over a six-month period, buying up disk drives ranging in size from 40GB to 300GB from the United States and Canada. The firm, which completed its research about two weeks ago, bought a total of 100 relatively modern drives, the vast majority of them Serial ATA.

"With size of the sample, I guess we were surprised with the percentage of disks that we found data on," said Michael Kessler, CEO of Kessler International. "We expected most of the drives to be wiped -- to find one or two disks with data. But 40 drives out of 100 is a lot."

Kessler believes the drives were likely from computers sold to third-party resellers that dissassembled them and sold off the parts.

Can Obama keep IT jobs in the U.S.?

Corporate America's drive to cut costs by moving jobs offshore has hit Robert Poulk hard. A veteran of the defense, aerospace, and computer industries, Poulk never had trouble finding work -- until 2003. That year, his job as a senior troubleshooter for a major software manufacturer was moved offshore to Bangalore, India. During a yearlong period of unemployment, Poulk sent out five to seven resumes a week and got only four responses. Eventually, he was hired by a temp agency and assigned a job at his old company, which he asked not be identified, where he now works as a contractor for about 30% less money and no benefits.

Having tapped his savings to make mortgage payments during his period of unemployment, Poulk is now concerned he won't have enough money for retirement. "I'm still waiting for the new prosperity that globalization was supposed to bring," he says.

Recycling taken to new heights - Recompute
Recompute is a new way of thinking about computers that layers sustainable ideas throughout its lifecycle to make an overall sustainable product that can be easily replicated. Recompute address sustainability along three main points during its life.

Memorable Quote

"Evolution of Product Documentation

Most documentation starts as hastily scrawled notes from sleep-deprived developers who weren't necessarily hired for their keen communication skills. Those notes are then fleshed out by
recently graduated English majors who have spent their last four years immersed in works of fiction. The results are then passed on to the marketing department whose job it is to make sure that no word or phrase will reflect unfavorably on the product ("I don't think that the word 'Basic' properly communicates the exciting nature of the product. Why don't we call it 'Visual Zesty?!'"). It is then beset by lawyers who finish the job by making sure that they haven't explicitly promised that the product will actually do anything. By the time the documentation gets into your hands, it has been so sanitized for your protection and generalized beyond recognition that you usually have to go out and buy a 3rd-party manual (that was, more likely than not, written by the same non-technical technical writer who wrote the original documentation) in a vain attempt to get an
unbiased, unexpurgated, and unfiltered view of just how you're really supposed to use the stuff. "

-Introduction
About The "@ Novell" Series
November 3, 1998

Re-Source Partners Asset Management, Inc supports the Lifecycle Services needs of some of the world’s largest corporations, OEMs, IT Resellers, VARs, IT Service Providers. The company adheres to ISO 14001 quality control measures. Some of Re-Source Partners’ services include: purchasing retired IT hardware, remarketing, recycling via ZERO LANDFILL methods, destroying data to Department of Defense levels – DOD 5220-22M, managing end of lease, warehousing, storage and deployment projects. The company delivers a full suite of detailed inventory, audit and reporting capabilities. Re-Source Partners works with PC, Server, Networking, Storage and Telecom Equipment.

Click Here to see the re-Source Partners Capabilities Video
March 2009	Greetings {FIRST_NAME},
In This Issue Survey: 40% of hard drives on ebay hold personal, corporate data Building relationships with your customers - Newsletter marketing Can Obama Keep IT jobs in the U.S.? Reycling taken to new heights - Recompute Consider Buying Used IT Hardware to Save Money Humor in Technology Memorable Quote Consider Buying Used IT Hardware to Save Money re.Source Partners features a number of refurbished computer systems for your IT needs. IT managers can save money upgrading aging systems while improving productivity for your workforce. VAR or IT Service Companies, you can offer these systems to your customers packaged with your maintenance service as well. Quantity discounts are available. See our March Special here Visit our website For more information on how re-Source Partners can help your company reduce the cost of ownership, handling, and retirement of IT assets as well as data confidentiality, data destruction, and legislation compliance. www.re-Sourcepartners.com Humor in Technology Please consider our environment before printing this email. Sincerely, Matthew G. Loria mattl@re-Sourcepartners.com re-Source Partners Ph: 586.783.0700 x.225 Mobile: 586.615.3829 Fax: 586.783.3935	Survey: 40% of hard drives bought on ebay hold personal, corporate data As computers become more of a commodity, easily discarded for a newer model, we need to be vigilant about the information stored on them when they leave our possession. re.Source Partners is committed to helping you secure and destroy the data on your corporate assets before they are put up for return to a lease company or resold through our asset recovery program... February 10, 2009 (Computerworld) A New York computer forensics firm found that 40% of the hard disk drives it recently purchased in bulk orders on eBay contained personal, private and sensitive information -- everything from corporate financial data to the Web-surfing history and downloads of a man with a foot fetish. Kessler International conducted the study over a six-month period, buying up disk drives ranging in size from 40GB to 300GB from the United States and Canada. The firm, which completed its research about two weeks ago, bought a total of 100 relatively modern drives, the vast majority of them Serial ATA. "With size of the sample, I guess we were surprised with the percentage of disks that we found data on," said Michael Kessler, CEO of Kessler International. "We expected most of the drives to be wiped -- to find one or two disks with data. But 40 drives out of 100 is a lot." Kessler believes the drives were likely from computers sold to third-party resellers that dissassembled them and sold off the parts. Read More Building relationships with your customers - Newsletter marketing The key to keeping your customers and prospects informed is to continue communication with them. As you are reading this newsletter, we hope to be bringing you useful information regarding the technology industry and how it relates to IT equipment that will need to be retired someday. As you know, re.Source Partners specializes in the retirement and recovery of value from those IT assets. In your business, it is important to keep your customers informed about the state of the industry as it relates to you and to them. Being an expert in the field, distributing knowledge freely is a value add to the service you provide. Does your company offer some sort of monthly communication to your customers? Read More Can Obama keep IT jobs in the U.S.? Corporate America's drive to cut costs by moving jobs offshore has hit Robert Poulk hard. A veteran of the defense, aerospace, and computer industries, Poulk never had trouble finding work -- until 2003. That year, his job as a senior troubleshooter for a major software manufacturer was moved offshore to Bangalore, India. During a yearlong period of unemployment, Poulk sent out five to seven resumes a week and got only four responses. Eventually, he was hired by a temp agency and assigned a job at his old company, which he asked not be identified, where he now works as a contractor for about 30% less money and no benefits. Having tapped his savings to make mortgage payments during his period of unemployment, Poulk is now concerned he won't have enough money for retirement. "I'm still waiting for the new prosperity that globalization was supposed to bring," he says. Read More Recycling taken to new heights - Recompute Recompute is a new way of thinking about computers that layers sustainable ideas throughout its lifecycle to make an overall sustainable product that can be easily replicated. Recompute address sustainability along three main points during its life. Read More Memorable Quote "Evolution of Product Documentation Most documentation starts as hastily scrawled notes from sleep-deprived developers who weren't necessarily hired for their keen communication skills. Those notes are then fleshed out by recently graduated English majors who have spent their last four years immersed in works of fiction. The results are then passed on to the marketing department whose job it is to make sure that no word or phrase will reflect unfavorably on the product ("I don't think that the word 'Basic' properly communicates the exciting nature of the product. Why don't we call it 'Visual Zesty?!'"). It is then beset by lawyers who finish the job by making sure that they haven't explicitly promised that the product will actually do anything. By the time the documentation gets into your hands, it has been so sanitized for your protection and generalized beyond recognition that you usually have to go out and buy a 3rd-party manual (that was, more likely than not, written by the same non-technical technical writer who wrote the original documentation) in a vain attempt to get an unbiased, unexpurgated, and unfiltered view of just how you're really supposed to use the stuff. " -Introduction About The "@ Novell" Series November 3, 1998 Re-Source Partners Asset Management, Inc supports the Lifecycle Services needs of some of the world’s largest corporations, OEMs, IT Resellers, VARs, IT Service Providers. The company adheres to ISO 14001 quality control measures. Some of Re-Source Partners’ services include: purchasing retired IT hardware, remarketing, recycling via ZERO LANDFILL methods, destroying data to Department of Defense levels – DOD 5220-22M, managing end of lease, warehousing, storage and deployment projects. The company delivers a full suite of detailed inventory, audit and reporting capabilities. Re-Source Partners works with PC, Server, Networking, Storage and Telecom Equipment.
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