Valuable computers, that could be donated to schools or charities are being wasted almost everyday at the dump.

Information technology specialist Alan Pailing is salvaging them to give to those in need of them. The computer forensics expert also warns that confidential information can become public property at the Waste Management Facility and businesses may want to think twice before simply discarding their old computers.

Mr. Pailing noticed the number of computers still in working order when he visited the dump opposite the airport in search of old computers for practising his data recovery skills.

?It is such a shame,? said Mr. Pailing. He salvages the computers to restore and hopes to set up a programme in Bermuda that intercepts the computers before they reached the facility.

Asked why he believes the computers are thrown away he said, ?probably more than anything because of data protection issues and secondly because they don?t think about who can use it?. Mr. Pailing explained that every time a new computer system is released businesses buy all new computers.

?Business users tend to want the latest and best which means that when Microsoft release their new operating systems, new machines are bought for all employees and computers in good condition are all sent to the dump.?

He noted the high value of memory cards that were discarded with the computer. These determine the speed of the computer and can be added to PCs to increase their speed.

They cost about $200 apiece new and Mr. Pailing estimated that from the several he had removed from discarded computers at the dump he had about $3,000 worth of very useable memory cards.

?If your system is slow there may be many quick and easy fixes any home user can do before buying new,? he said.

Through Rotary International he is setting up ways for people, businesses and home users to donate their old computers.

?Charities, church organisations, schools and schoolchildren who cannot afford them are all in need of computers and the high powered computers taken to the dump can easily be modified to suit their requirements,? he said.

?The model doesn?t matter to a charity or a school,? he added, ?they just need a computer that works.?

Recently out of 15 dumped computers Mr. Pailing managed to rebuild ten working ones for charities. He said that a variety of charities will take older computers and either use them in local facilities or process them to be shipped overseas.

Mr. Pailing understands that confidentiality of data is of utmost concern, but noted the easy solutions.

He is licensed to use software which erases data permanently from electronic files or if people were not convinced, the computer?s hard drive (which would contain the sensitive data) could be destroyed with a hammer and was much cheaper to replace than the whole computer.

Mr. Pailing is a certified data recovery and data destruction specialist and with 30 years professional computer experience knows the vulnerability of confidential data being left at the dump.

He said that anybody with minimum technical expertise can easily take these discarded computers off the waste site and recover data that has been assumed destroyed.

Mr. Pailing explained that ?dumpster diving?, the method of gaining computer information by digging through discarded equipment is a technique used throughout the world of cyber- criminals and the main cause of ?identity theft?.

Mr. Pailing also explained that the dumping of electronics was damaging to the environment as over time hazardous materials leak out of the electronics. He gave the example that an old cathode-ray tube in a computer monitor holds about eight pounds of lead, which has been linked to many harmful physical and mental health problems.

He mentioned the general concern worldwide about putting such waste into landfills. ?In order to try and reduce these threats, legislation that requires proper disposal of old electronics needs to be introduced and enforced,? he said.

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