The Shuler Staff Begin Lying Before Congressman Sworn In

Is Hayden Rogers practicing Mountain Values, or Brokeback Mountain Values?

An article in the Asheville Citizen-Times this morning either reveals the ignorance, or deceitfulness of Hayden Rogers:

Staffers for incoming U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler got an unwelcome surprise this week when they received computers from outgoing Rep. Charles Taylor that were stripped of their operating systems.
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“To clean off the operating systems, that’s more than just cleaning the files,” said Shuler’s chief of staff, Hayden Rogers.

Taylor Press Secretary Deborah Potter said the erasures were done because the law restricts going over personal case information.

As any who is a user of Windows knows, old information can be a bear to get rid of. I have purchased used computers from Flea Markets and Computer Shops that still had personal bank account numbers on them, passwords to email accounts, and in one case, someone's computer journal.

I refer you to an article from CNET News:

Tax records, resumes, photo albums--the modern hard drive can keep increasingly larger volumes of information at the ready. But that can turn into a problem when it comes to effectively erasing the devices.

There are a number of options for cleansing the drives of unwanted computers, from special wiping software to destruction services to manufacturers' recycling programs. But what many PC owners don't realize, experts say, is that these methods are often not enough.

"For people who want to sell or donate a computer, who are trying to protect their checkbook or medical info, you can expect to protect yourself against all but the most sophisticated attacks with wiping," said Stephen Lawton, the director of marketing at Acronis, a maker of wiping tools, backup and recovery software. "But you have to use the software the right way."
News.context

What's new:
It can be tougher to clean data off a discarded hard drive than many people realize, experts say.

Bottom line:
Sensitive data could be left on donated or sold PCs. The only way to erase drives is to use wiping software plus material destruction.

More stories on hardware security

"Even the people who destroy disks will tell you (that) unless you do that correctly, there are always people who can get the data off," he added.

That means that passwords, logins and other personal information could still be lurking on machines that have supposedly been cleaned--a risk that strikes a chord amid reports of laptop thefts exposing sensitive information on thousands of Americans.

If the Shuler Staff are having trouble with formatting their hard drives, and installing operating systems, I can do it a whole lot cheaper than the $2,632 figure stated, including my flight to and from Washington. Wonder who gets that cushy contract?

Besides, aren't the Shuler people using Apples and iMacs?

As always, I'll keep following the Headlines at West Carolina Report.

I will be very interested in seeing how the "progressive" bloggers respond to this, and whether they'll line up according to Technology, or Doctrine?

Update: Jan 5th

To make matters worse, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported this morning that the computers that were handed down from the offices of The Not Very Honorable at All Charles Taylor have been reformatted. Erased. Everything's gone, including pending constituent service case file information. This is a little bit worse than Clinton staffers removing all of the W keys from the keyboards of computers throughout the White House in January 2001, don't you think?

That was on Scutiny Hooligans

In my district, Heath Shuler (D-NC 11) had a welcome surprise from Charles Taylor’s staff. Computers holding constituent service files were erased, reformatted and purged of all data and operating systems. No flags for vets or guided tours for anyone! (Citizen-Times)

And that was on Petulant Rumblings


I guess they decided to take that shot, and keep on driving by...