Ethical question

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I believe govt agencies are supposed to do a low level reformat and rewrite everything with 0's. (or is it with 1's?)

They are probably supposed to follow DoD 5220-22.M which is a 7 pass rotating byte wipe.

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Wait, if it is formatted, how can you "restore" it?

They probably did a quick format, which only deletes the files tables, not the actual data.

I personally think it's pretty disrespectful to snoop through others' data, no matter how easy it may be. You may want to inform the city about how to better wipe their drives, but I wouldn't encourage your son to look through their files.

 

[sygyzy]

Just format it. Honestly, what do you expect to find? Porn? So what. As far as lecturing the city about their data destruction procedures, as another member suggested, give me a break. The last thing the city needs is some know-it-all telling them something they already know. It's like that time I sold some X-Box 360 "backups" at work. Everyone knew exactly what it meant but one DB had to email me to tell me he knew what I was up to.

 

[skyking]

No question for me. Just format and use as you intended, anything else would be a big waste of time, effort, and leave you both feeling a little dirty.
I fix computers and networks, servers, and there is nothing in a computer worth wasting much time about.

 

[nervegrind3r]

"test his "haxor" skills, he restored it"

bro, you know how easy it is to recover data from a hard drvie? most people dont have a clue what erasing a hard drive actually is.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Wait, if it is formatted, how can you "restore" it?

http://www.easeus.com/datareco...ormatted-partition.htm

Gotta love the "Chinglish" translations on the page though:

"Do not be panic"

"to prepare a new logical drives "

"when a partition has been formatted, the all data would disappear"

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Newspaper

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Or get a local Action News team to your front door. Now at 11.....

 

[SneakyStuff]

You know that the temptation to look is too great and the regret if you don't look will be even worse

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Newspaper

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Or get a local Action News team to your front door. Now at 11.....

Dream on. What do you expect to find?

Flagrant misspellings uncovered in Assistant Dog Catcher's daily report! Huge City Hall shake-up possible! News at 11!

 

[TallBill]

You should absolutely format the drive without looking at anything on it. Regardless of its contents it was intended to be erased. Think about if it was yours. Heck, even if it wasn't erased it's still rude to sift through someone elses files whether they be work or personal.

 

[mcmilljb]

Part of me says you think it's wrong yet you need people to tell you, "It's ok, go for it!" That tells us you can't make your own moral decisions.

The other part says it's a waste of time. Have your "h4x0r 50n" go hack Paris Hilton or Miley Cyrus' cell phones. :roll:

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Went to one of those annual clean out the basement city "auctions" where they get rid of crap, stolen stuff that was recovered and not claimed (almost all bicycles), etc.

I ended up just wasting time there, chatting with the officer who was in charge of watching over the entire thing. Toward the end, I did pick up a very solid, 2 inch thick solid oak table/bench that only needed a little refinishing to be beautiful again (it was already quite functional as a work bench). As firewood, it would have cost more. My wife loves it in the laundry area of our house - it's perfect.

Anyway, for shits and giggles, my son picked up an old computer that was used by the city. - 50cents. He wanted to see if there was anything useful to him inside it. And, sure there was - a hard drive.

Of course, they formatted the hard drive. But, just to play with it and test his "haxor" skills, he restored it.

Question: should he now reformat the hard drive, since he's proven to himself that he was capable of restoring it? Or, should he go through the files and see if there are any inappropriate goodies inside worth tossing to the local newspaper; else confidential stuff that the city should be willing to pay him to destroy, since they did a poor job in the first place. (at the very least, point out the ineptness on the city's part at protecting confidential information.)

Part of me is curious, part of me doesn't want to stir up a hornet's nest if there is anything to be found on it. Any bizarre tech laws against doing what he did?

I think you need to stir up a hornet's nest. Imagine if someone else has done the same thing you have but the drive contains all your vital identifiable information like SSN and that person does not have good intentions like you do. It's your civic duity to make this mole hill in to a mountain. Make the government responsible, just as the founding fathers would want you to do. Don't disappoint Thomas Jefferson; make him proud.

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Newspaper

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Or get a local Action News team to your front door. Now at 11.....

Dream on. What do you expect to find?

Flagrant misspellings uncovered in Assistant Dog Catcher's daily report! Huge City Hall shake-up possible! News at 11!

oh man I can't stop :laugh:

 

[Vehemence]

If there's any pics of the mayor's wife's tits, post on ATOT.

 

[Corporate Thug]

I can bet my bottom dollar that going thru city files is some sort of crime.

 

[Vehemence]

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug
I can bet my bottom dollar that going thru city files is some sort of crime.

Yeah but what if there's tits.

 

[PhlashFoto]

Originally posted by: dNor
If there's any pics of the mayor's wife's tits, post on ATOT.

Not if she's old and saggy. :disgust:

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug
I can bet my bottom dollar that going thru city files is some sort of crime.

I don't know about that. It is not as if he broken in and went through the files or hack into it via remotely. The city sold it to him. It would be their negilgence (sp?) and should have known this could happen.

 

[Vehemence]

Originally posted by: ELopes580

Not if she's old and saggy. :disgust:

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