Hong Kong Star Sexcapades

A Hong Kong hip hop star's hard drive is making life miserable for his ex-girlfriends. That's because a repairman surreptitiously copied and posted sexy photos of Edison Chen, 27, in compromising positions with three other Chinese celebs. Now, the service professional is under arrest. Chen apologized on YouTube, but for ex-gal pal Gillian Chung, 27, it was all too late. Her pop group Twins' latest video is being nixed from Hong Kong Disneyland's (DIS) Chinese New Year celebrations.

Could the contents of your hard drive leave you, or someone you love, red-faced, or worse? Private Investigator Bo Dietl says you must seek out a trusted professional if your computer or laptop needs a tune-up. “You should know who is working on your computer because there aren’t really any software safeguards you can put into effect.” says Dietl. “Remember, these people are experts. No matter how many settings or securities you put on your computer they can find a way to have access if they want.”

Dr. Eugene Spafford a Purdue University professor and executive director of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, says consumers should seek a service organization that is bonded, or under a contract agreement to take care of your computer. That way you have additional rights of action if your information is disclosed because it is a violation of privacy. 

But recourse still does not prevent the problem from happening in the first place. “The IRS, FBI have fired people for abusing privileged access to information," says Spafford. If your computer's problem is not your hard drive, Spafford suggests removing it and sending the rest of the computer to be repaired. If you do not know a hard drive from a monitor then “demand they take it out with you standing there when they do it.” Another way to avoid problem is to watch what you save to your hard drive. "Significant secrets that could impact business or multiple people’s lives," are a no no, he says. "Most systems aren’t protected enough and people don’t know how to protect them enough.”