Hard drive hacking is a practice that involves accessing external hard drives without permission. It can get done in various ways, such as physically tampering with the hardware of drives. The ultimate goal of hard drive hacking is to gain access to sensitive data stored on the device and use it for malicious purposes like extortion.
The value of data has been increasing exponentially in recent years, making hard drive hacking an increasingly attractive option for hackers looking to steal sensitive information from victims. Companies tend to store financial records, customer contact lists, and other valuable data on external hard drives, so it makes sense that criminals often target these.
ViaTeK Solutions exist to be the answer to tough questions like:
- How can I obliterate my data?
- Can an encrypted hard drive get hacked?
- How can I be sure my data gets eradicated?
At ViaTeK, we make it easy to coordinate the pickup or dropoff of your hard drives at one of our three secure locations where they can get destroyed completely. See, at ViaTeK, we know the history of hard drive hacking and the sophisticated methods bad actors use to try and steal your data.
The History of External Hard Drive Hacks
The history of “hacking” goes back further than you’d probably think.
1878
The first known hack was brought on by a couple of teenagers hired to run the switchboards at the Bell Telephone Company. Of course, they decided to disconnect and misdirect calls as part of a silly (but frustrating) prank.
1960’s
The computer was still developing into the machine we know it to be today. Many students and faculty members had access to it at prestigious universities like MIT. At MIT, a couple of students created program shortcuts, task automation, and more. These were still technically hacks then but eventually became standard operating procedures for computers due to their benefits.
1970’s
The 1970s brought on the first iteration of malicious hacks we understand today. This trend is consistent with when computers started to become more mainstream. However, because of the still-emerging technology, access to computers still did make hacking a national concern and buzz it is today.
1986
By the time 1986 came, more than 30 million computers had been sold, making them a staple of American society. This emergence also expanded hackers’ access to individual computers and computer networks. The nefariousness of computer and external hard drive hacking bloomed throughout the 80s, leading into the 90s dot-com boom.
1995
We start to see famous hackers such as Kevin Mitnick get charged with stealing 20,000 credit card numbers.
2000
Major companies start falling prey to hacks. Yahoo, eBay, Amazon, and more succumb to denial-of-service attacks.
2015
Fast-forward 22 years, and as data centers and technological devices have imploded, the negative impacts of hacking become that much direr. For instance, Morgan Stanley agreed to pay $35 million in damages for old hard drives ending up in the hands of bad actors. Although they thought they had hired a company to take care of it, the company resold the data-containing drives on the black market.
The Morgan Stanley example also shows how encryption is not always a fail-safe solution. Although the drives in question had encryption capabilities, it was never activated in the devices. This oversight led to easy access for the hackers, despite encryption technology.
Shred Your Data with ViaTeK Solutions
ViaTeK Solutions offers comprehensive services to ensure your data is secure and protected from external hard drive hacks. Our data shredding services provide maximum protection against external hard drive attacks, allowing you to enjoy complete peace of mind.
We know how important it is for businesses and employees to protect their sensitive information, so our data-shredding solutions incorporate the latest security protocols. With ViaTeK Solutions, you can be sure that your confidential information remains safe from external threats from when we pick it up to when we issue you a certificate of complete data destruction.
To get started, contact ViaTeK Solutions.
