WAILUKU – In observance of Cyber Security Awareness Month, the County of Maui will hold a free, drive-through hard drive and backup tape destruction and disposal service in the lower parking lot behind the Kalana O Maui County Building on Saturday, Nov. 18.

The service will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. Residents are urged to remove the hard drive from any old computers, laptops, printers or other electronic devices and bring just the hard drive(s) to the event, where they can hand over their hard drives to members of the county’s Information Technology (IT) Services Division.

IT staff will destroy the drives and make sure they are disposed of properly. Backup tapes will be thoroughly wiped of any information. An information table with cyber security materials also will be available at the event.

“This service is especially important, because anyone can access your hard drive if you just throw it away,” said Jacob Verkerke, the county’s chief technology officer.

“Even if you delete important information like bank statements, account numbers and Social Security information, someone who knows what they are doing can always find a way to retrieve it if they have your hard drive – even on a cell phone.” For more information about protecting yourself from cyber risks, visit www.mauicounty.gov/cybersecurity.