ConsumerAffairs.com reports that digital photocopiers that retain copied information on a hard drive could pose a threat to your identity, if the copied information includes your personal data.

Hard drives have become routine for the midsize to large photocopiers found in many small and large businesses, especially those built since 2005, and all images scanned on the machines are stored in the hard drive, including documents with personal data such as medical history, Social Security numbers and bank account numbers.

Many of these photocopiers are often connected to an office network and businesses that are accessible to many people. This provides hackers with many opportunities to gain access to the network and steal stored data.

Many businesses fail to consider their copiers when putting a security system in place, putting customers at risk.Businesses should consider purchasing software that scrubs the disk or removes all the data from hard drives. They can also put a password on the copier that cannot be easily guessed, such as a numerical password similar to a PIN. The copier would then require the password to gain access to the stored data.

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