One of the very first things that I do is to replace the laptops HD with a new HD. Generally this is because the HD that comes with a laptop is not usually all that good.
Whenever I have had to send a laptop in for repair, I put the original HD back into the laptop and send/take it in to the repair center. The benefit is that my own personal data remains safe and secure in my hands. Additionally, with the original HD there is no issue with what I have installed (what they don't see, they don't ask about).
If I were you, I would go purchase a cheap HD and put it in the laptop. Then use the restore CDs that came with your laptop to put the system in a *factory default* state. Then take it back in for repair.
Actually I would be very wary of providing SSN, DL, DOB, or any other identifying information. It wasn't to long ago (2 months) that the FBI issued warnings about identity theives posing as hiring companies so that they could obtain your information and then use it. Be especially leary of calls/emails from supposed agencies that you did not directly apply too.
I am sure that you are doing your homework on the companies that you are applying to. But it is necessary to restate that if you are going to ask for a job, then you should know who the h3ll you are going to work for.
As for the poorly designed application processes, if they insist on data entry in these fields on their web forms, then use the old tried and true 999-99-9999 or some other such bogus info. I would stick to the 999-99-9999 type of entry to avoid being accused of fraud. I have heard rumors of court decissions that have supported the concept of this being a universal way of saying that you do not wish to divulge that yet. If they allow you to submit additional comments then state that the additional information will be provided when a contingent offer of employment is made.
With ID theft such a huge issues these days, I would expect that many companies would understand your position and will attempt to assuage your concerns. Do you really want to work there if they don't?
- Nuff said
I am curious whether anyone else out there does what my company does. The company I work for has always been paranoid about laptop theft. To address this concern they have taken the following approach:
- All laptop users are issued a external hard drive 80-160GB that is encrypted - The built-in laptop hard drive is partioned into 2 parts. One part stores the OS and all program files, the second part is used for swap space (virtual memory and temp files) - Laptop users are instructed to store *ALL* data on the external drives as well as to always secure the drive (via removing it and locking in a drawer, or carrying it with them when leaving the laptop).
The general consensus is that the primary target is the laptop. If it is lost then there is no exposure because no data is stored on it. The existence of data in temporary files is minimized by using the single partition which is constantly re-writing to itself.
Given that these external hard-drives are alot easier to pick-up and walk away with, we still feel that we are more secure. We often find the laptops unattended, but rarely, due to training, do we find an unattended hard-drive.
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One of the very first things that I do is to replace the laptops HD with a new HD. Generally this is because the HD that comes with a laptop is not usually all that good.
Whenever I have had to send a laptop in for repair, I put the original HD back into the laptop and send/take it in to the repair center. The benefit is that my own personal data remains safe and secure in my hands. Additionally, with the original HD there is no issue with what I have installed (what they don't see, they don't ask about).
If I were you, I would go purchase a cheap HD and put it in the laptop. Then use the restore CDs that came with your laptop to put the system in a *factory default* state. Then take it back in for repair.
Actually I would be very wary of providing SSN, DL, DOB, or any other identifying information. It wasn't to long ago (2 months) that the FBI issued warnings about identity theives posing as hiring companies so that they could obtain your information and then use it. Be especially leary of calls/emails from supposed agencies that you did not directly apply too. I am sure that you are doing your homework on the companies that you are applying to. But it is necessary to restate that if you are going to ask for a job, then you should know who the h3ll you are going to work for. As for the poorly designed application processes, if they insist on data entry in these fields on their web forms, then use the old tried and true 999-99-9999 or some other such bogus info. I would stick to the 999-99-9999 type of entry to avoid being accused of fraud. I have heard rumors of court decissions that have supported the concept of this being a universal way of saying that you do not wish to divulge that yet. If they allow you to submit additional comments then state that the additional information will be provided when a contingent offer of employment is made. With ID theft such a huge issues these days, I would expect that many companies would understand your position and will attempt to assuage your concerns. Do you really want to work there if they don't? - Nuff said
I am curious whether anyone else out there does what my company does. The company I work for has always been paranoid about laptop theft. To address this concern they have taken the following approach:
- All laptop users are issued a external hard drive 80-160GB that is encrypted
- The built-in laptop hard drive is partioned into 2 parts. One part stores the OS and all program files, the second part is used for swap space (virtual memory and temp files)
- Laptop users are instructed to store *ALL* data on the external drives as well as to always secure the drive (via removing it and locking in a drawer, or carrying it with them when leaving the laptop).
The general consensus is that the primary target is the laptop. If it is lost then there is no exposure because no data is stored on it. The existence of data in temporary files is minimized by using the single partition which is constantly re-writing to itself.
Given that these external hard-drives are alot easier to pick-up and walk away with, we still feel that we are more secure. We often find the laptops unattended, but rarely, due to training, do we find an unattended hard-drive.
$t0mp 0ut