Confidential German Missile Information gets Leaked from Old Laptop

Recently, a cybersecurity firm G-Data discovered they purchased a laptop that housed German military secrets. The company bought the laptop on eBay for $100. The computer was not encrypted, allowing easy access to files. An employee at G-Data discovered that the hard drive included a confidential German air-force user manual and schematics for a surface-to-air missile system. The laptop was running the outdated operating system, Windows 2000.

Germany’s defense ministry is still unsure how the laptop ended up on the auction website. A discovery like this in the wrong hands could put Germany’s safety at risk. The German defense ministry claims the systems are unable to control missiles or launch them. At this time, they are still investigating the situation.

If the military removed the data properly from the hard drive, the private files would be irretrievable. All organizations should have a plan for every stage of a computer’s lifecycle. The only way to ensure your retired IT equipment remains safe is by partnering with a certified ITAD service provider. Our team stays up to date with the latest standards. Liquid Technology is NAID AAA certified; we provide auditable on and off-site data destruction.

Are you interested in learning more about our data destruction services? If so, contact us by email or by phone at 1-800-797-5478.