[usastandsunited]

analysed 158 second hand hard drives bought over the internet between November 2000 and August 2002. They were able to recover over 6000 credit card numbers

Hmmm. Each hard drive averaged 38 credit card numbers. If this is true, these hard drives where from some servers of some sort. I really don't buy into the notion that the average joe stores that many credit card numbers into his computer.

[Oberon]

Hmmm. Each hard drive averaged 38 credit card numbers. If this is true, these hard drives where from some servers of some sort.

Read it again, chief. One of the drives came from an ATM machine, and the vast majority of card numbers came from that drive.

[Xenalyte]

I really don't buy into the notion that the average joe stores that many credit card numbers into his computer.

I'm not sure the average joe even HAS 38 credit cards. I'd say 20 max, including gas and department-store cards.

[Cicero]

It says that one of the drives came from an ATM. Probably most of the credit card numbers were on that one drive. Now that is one kind of drive that really does need to be wiped, or hammered with a sledgehammer. A bank should know better than just to toss it in the trash or sell it.

[AntiGuv]

Hmmm. Each hard drive averaged 38 credit card numbers.

Just an FYI. You overlooked this bit of the article:

"One drive had previously been used in an ATM cash machine and contained 2868 different numbers, as well as account and transaction information. Another drive contained a credit card number within a cached web page."

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Hmmm. Each hard drive averaged 38 credit card numbers. If this is true, these hard drives where from some servers of some sort. I really don't buy into the notion that the average joe stores that many credit card numbers into his computer.

Did you read the part where just one, from an ATM, had 2800+ numbers? Hmmmmmmm.

[fight_truth_decay]

good point!..would look into someone using 38 different credit cards ;)

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree. My checkbook balance is on my computer. Hard for anyone to get in too much trouble with that! They'd be mad they went to the trouble to find it!

At least one in the test was the former hard drive of an ATM machine.