Comments on: Scrubbing Hard Disk Data http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/ Linux. GNU. Freedom. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:59:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4-alpha By: lol http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110218 lol Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:17:19 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110218 No it doesn’t No it doesn’t

]]> By: lol http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110217 lol Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:15:46 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110217 Just checking in pthree.org recognises linux mint. Just checking in pthree.org recognises linux mint.

]]> By: lol http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110129 lol Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:51:51 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110129 No it doesn't No it doesn’t

]]> By: lol http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110128 lol Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:51:27 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110128 Just checking if pthree.org recognises windows 7 Just checking if pthree.org recognises windows 7

]]> By: nasrullah http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110123 nasrullah Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:48:24 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110123 Thank you........ Thank you……..

]]> By: Aaron http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110121 Aaron Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:47:08 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110121 While physical destruction is certainly fun, and it definitely validates that the drive, and possibly the data, is destroyed, such as thermite, belt sanders or magnetic degaussers, that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is to discuss the digital methods used for sanitization, such as /dev/urandm, /dev/zero, the Gutmann method, the DoD wipes, and so forth. In my personal opinion, a single pass of zeros is good enough, just shy of tens of thousands of dollars of software and hardware, such as magnetic electron microscopes. Two passes, and the overwritten data isn't coming off. Period. Plain and simple. No need for thermite, the mess from belt sanders, drills, etc. Might not be as fun, but it's super tight. While physical destruction is certainly fun, and it definitely validates that the drive, and possibly the data, is destroyed, such as thermite, belt sanders or magnetic degaussers, that’s not the point of this post. The point of this post is to discuss the digital methods used for sanitization, such as /dev/urandm, /dev/zero, the Gutmann method, the DoD wipes, and so forth.

In my personal opinion, a single pass of zeros is good enough, just shy of tens of thousands of dollars of software and hardware, such as magnetic electron microscopes. Two passes, and the overwritten data isn’t coming off. Period. Plain and simple. No need for thermite, the mess from belt sanders, drills, etc. Might not be as fun, but it’s super tight.

]]> By: Blah http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110120 Blah Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:32:16 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110120 Thermite. Thermite.

]]> By: rusty http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110118 rusty Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:17:08 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110118 My own sollution would be to build a belt sander with a vacume to collect the dust, and an entry port large enough to receive 5 1/$" drives. If the belts you can find are not 6" or wider you may need to build the feed mechanism diagonal to the belt path. The 'flat' surface of the belt sander can be either horizontal, or diagonal. (about 45Degrees seems right) and your 'belt feed' should be 'downward turning' to the insertion point. Add a 'tray' at 90 degrees to the belt surface and feed drives to be destroyed. Use a legally certified video tape system to capture the drive going into and being processed. You end up with a canister of metal filings (some plastic) Truely paranoid people can then melt the filings down to slag. Of course if you already have a forge, you could avoid the belt sander step... My own sollution would be to build a belt sander with a vacume to collect the dust, and an entry port large enough to receive 5 1/$” drives. If the belts you can find are not 6″ or wider you may need to build the feed mechanism diagonal to the belt path. The ‘flat’ surface of the belt sander can be either horizontal, or diagonal. (about 45Degrees seems right) and your ‘belt feed’ should be ‘downward turning’ to the insertion point. Add a ‘tray’ at 90 degrees to the belt surface and feed drives to be destroyed. Use a legally certified video tape system to capture the drive going into and being processed.

You end up with a canister of metal filings (some plastic)

Truely paranoid people can then melt the filings down to slag. Of course if you already have a forge, you could avoid the belt sander step…

]]> By: Natha http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110117 Natha Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:56:28 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110117 @John V. - What happens when you do that to a CD? Not exactly thoroughly destroying data. @John V. – What happens when you do that to a CD? Not exactly thoroughly destroying data.

]]> By: John Vorstermans http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110116 John Vorstermans Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:51:01 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110116 Why don't you just open the disks and scratch the platter(s) with a screwdriver. A lot quicker. Why don’t you just open the disks and scratch the platter(s) with a screwdriver. A lot quicker.

]]> By: Roland http://pthree.org/2009/08/31/scrubbing-hard-disk-data/#comment-110115 Roland Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:47:59 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1120#comment-110115 Just use 'dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda'. Also: http://ask.slashdot.org/story/06/09/10/0016243/Cheap-Bulk-Eraser-for-Hard-Disks http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/08/17/1221253/The-Homemade-Hard-Disk-Destroyer http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/08/21/1233204/Ten-Ways-To-Destroy-a-Hard-Disk My favorite, since they will be destroyed anyway: take them to a junkyard with a crane-mounted magnet. Watch them jump 3 meters straight up when the operator turns it on. Destroys disks, heads, seek mechanism. Totally. Just use ‘dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda’. Also:
http://ask.slashdot.org/story/06/09/10/0016243/Cheap-Bulk-Eraser-for-Hard-Disks
http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/08/17/1221253/The-Homemade-Hard-Disk-Destroyer
http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/08/21/1233204/Ten-Ways-To-Destroy-a-Hard-Disk

My favorite, since they will be destroyed anyway: take them to a junkyard with a crane-mounted magnet. Watch them jump 3 meters straight up when the operator turns it on. Destroys disks, heads, seek mechanism. Totally.

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