Hidden Information Chapter three of Blown to Bits was very eye opening. The chapter, titled “Ghosts in the Machine”, was about how information may be stored in our computer. All the information stored in a computer is not always totally visible to us. The authors, Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis also discuss how information can be hidden in the form of images. They also discussed the terrifying prospect that information that you believe to have been erased may in fact be lurking somewhere on your disk. We cannot possibly see all the information stored on our computers. In fact, normally we don’t need to know all the hidden information. However, when sending redacted messages it is important to make sure that the information that
…show more content…
They gave an example of students at MIT who bought used disk drives on Ebay and, using fairly simple methods, were able to recover all sorts of information off the drives. The sellers of the drives had probably thought that they had cleared it before sending it, however the students were able to recover names, addresses, credit card information, and other personal information on the previous owners of the disks. “There are upsides and downsides to the persistence of bits” (104). This is a very true statement! It is incredibly difficult to ensure that your personal information from getting into the wrong hands after you get rid of your old machines. The authors of the book suggest physical means of making sure that your personal information does not get into the wrong hands. So what will it be: hammer or axe?
` In conclusion, the third chapter of Blown to Bits was very informative. “Ghosts in the Machine” was a chapter about how information can be hidden within computers. It is important to be careful when sending sensitive information. Images can be used to hide information from programmers. And finally, be careful when getting rid of old machines. These three things are important to note when trying to keep your personal information
They gave an example of students at MIT who bought used disk drives on Ebay and, using fairly simple methods, were able to recover all sorts of information off the drives. The sellers of the drives had probably thought that they had cleared it before sending it, however the students were able to recover names, addresses, credit card information, and other personal information on the previous owners of the disks. “There are upsides and downsides to the persistence of bits” (104). This is a very true statement! It is incredibly difficult to ensure that your personal information from getting into the wrong hands after you get rid of your old machines. The authors of the book suggest physical means of making sure that your personal information does not get into the wrong hands. So what will it be: hammer or axe?
` In conclusion, the third chapter of Blown to Bits was very informative. “Ghosts in the Machine” was a chapter about how information can be hidden within computers. It is important to be careful when sending sensitive information. Images can be used to hide information from programmers. And finally, be careful when getting rid of old machines. These three things are important to note when trying to keep your personal information