On 2025-07-16, Andy Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi, > > On Wed, Jul 16, 2025 at 04:31:08PM -0000, Greg wrote: >> On 2025-07-12, Andy Smith <[email protected]> wrote: >> > But for brand new devices I don't care what was on it before. >> > >> > You can construct a hypothetical situation where: >> > >> > 1. I buy a new storage device but am unwittingly given a refurb one >> > (that has had its diagnostic attributes erased to maintain the >> > illusion that it is new). >> > 2. For some reason law enforcement seize my computer, scan the storage >> > and find something illegal that was on it already in unused space. >> >> https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/12/5928?utm_source=chatgpt.com > > This one concerns USB storage bought on the TradeMe web site, which > appears to be a marketplace a bit like eBay. I didn't thoroughly read it > but I didn't spot anywhere that clarified whether they sought out drives > described as brand new or not. The fact that they bought 17 and found > data on 15 suggests to me that they just bought second hand storage, so > not at all surprising. > >> https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/181241a/amazon_sold_me_a_drive_it_came_with_data_on_it/?utm_source=chatgpt.com >> >> https://indiandefencereview.com/a-man-bought-a-new-hard-drive-but-upon-plugging-it-in-he-discovered-800gb-of-files-worth-thousands/?utm_source=chatgpt.com > > If either of the above stories are true (note they do both come from > reddit) they read like advice to check that storage devices that you buy > as new actually *are* new.
How do you do that? It seems that assuming nothing and performing a secure erase upon arrival is a no-brainer. > If any of that happened to me then I would be getting a refund for it > not being as described, not carrying on using it. None of it persuades > me to secure erase new storage devices, "just in case." But if it makes > someone happy, I suppose there are worse ways for them to spend their > time. > > Thanks, > Andy >
