Identity Theft and Deleting Stored Data

What does your bank do with their computers when they upgrade their equipment? What about your doctor or dentist? Why is this important? The computers used by your bank, your doctor, and other places where you do regular business have important information stored in databases on their computers. When they upgrade and move this data to another machine, are the proper precautions taken to completely format these hard drives so that this information can not be retrieved by a tech savvy computer user who might purchase this now used computer. If files are not permanently deleted, these companies could be exposing their customers to identity theft.

Personal data is frequently being exposed because files with personal data are not fully deleted from business computers. What about your own computer using habits? Do you make sure files with your own personal or financial information are securely deleted from your hard drive when you buy new equipment? And what happens to that old computer? Do you sell it on Ebay or pass it on to a friend or relative? Don't tempt fate. Anyone can be an identity thief with the proper information and motivation.