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http://www.identitytheft.com/article/are_photocopiers_a_riskA lot has been said about the importance of safeguarding computers and using strong passwords and good encryption and firewall software in order to protect yourself from identity theft. But few people realize that there is another electronic device in their offices that could pose just as much risk. And this machine is significantly less guarded. What is it? The photocopier. Because a high volume of documented identity theft cases begin in the office, it’s important that you constantly remain on guard against identity fraud.
Your office copier (or even worse, the copier at the local copy center down the street) just might be the weakest link when it comes to identity theft protection. Think for just a moment about all of the documents you photocopy (or someone else photocopies on your behalf). Medical records, tax returns, birth certificates, student records, marriage licenses, driver’s licenses, social security cards, etc…Office expense reports with photocopies of credit card receipts can even put you at risk if you aren’t careful. If the wrong person got his or her hands on the information you copy, it could lead to credit card theft, bank fraud and identity theft as a whole.
How Copiers Put You at Risk
Many copiers that were made in the last five to seven years contain hard drives that record the information that has been copied. These files are stored unencrypted until the hard drive becomes full and old files are overwritten. But, some experts claim, many files may never be overwritten. Since photocopiers use a modem, many of them are connected to the office network and many companies don’t use passwords to protect their copiers. Or, if they do, the passwords are generic or easy for someone to guess or get a hold of...
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