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Single Drive Wipe Protects Data

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the two-wipes-are-better-than-one dept.

ALF-nl writes "A forensics expert claims that wiping your hard drives with just one pass already makes it next to impossible to recover the data with an electron microscope." But that's not accounting for the super secret machines that the government has, man.

5 of 625 comments (clear)

  1. Sure... by MyLongNickName · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That's what they WANT you to think.

    In all seriousness. If the government wants to get information, they are not going to the trouble of an electron microscope to look at your hard drive. I'm sure they have other methods of extracting the information they want. While this information (about how many wipes you need) is interesting from a theoretical point of view, it is useless from a practical one.

    --
    See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
  2. If you are able to do it by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 5, Interesting

    These guys will give you 500 bucks

    which is surely worth the time and effort involved in something like this.

  3. *shakes his head* by Notabadguy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can't help but sit here shaking my head in some disbelief at the comments I've read on this thread. Slashdotters are a technologically savvy community for the most part, and I lost track of the number of times that I saw something to the effect of "The government probably has means/software/tools/hacks to get your info."

    Now, I've done extensive work *for* the government in the realm of computer forensics, which is as far as I'll elaborate, and the tools we use are commercially available. Were anyone so inclined, you could even attend or get notes on FBI or DoD taught digital forensics classes.

    There's nothing wrong with some good old fashioned suspicion or conspiracy theory, but the *one* area that slashdotters should be mostly competent and knowledgeable on has more of those wild ideas than anywhere else.

  4. My wipe is better :-) by BrokenHalo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I used to be a blacksmith, and I still have a nice little power-hammer in my workshop that delivers the clout of a 500 lb sledgehammer. I would be willing to bet that my way of disposing of my old disk drives, which involves heating it to about 800 degrees C in my forge and giving it a few taps with that mother would defeat the most earnest efforts of the NSA, since the drive comes out about the thickness of tin-foil.

    Disclaimer:
    The NSA has no jurisdiction here in Australia, (yet) and...
    They would probably be bored by the contents of my drives anyway, and...
    Yes, I am aware that that temperature will demagnetise the platters, but...
    It's good fun to do anyway: shiny hot things and lots of noise. :-)

  5. Re:One wipe is not enough. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There are many MANY reasons to want to wipe data that doesn't implicate you in a crime.

    Hiding your data is important to prove your innocense (or support, at least). Imagine they "find" some data in your "possession" (officer swears the DVD of images was on your desk). Or your soon-to-be-ex left it to settle a bitter custody dispute. Now imagine every bit of your data is encrypted beyond their comprehension. Will a jury believe that you have everything - including your inane personal diary - encased beyond their reach but left super-incriminating evidence out in the open? Unless they can tie that DVD to you via a purchase, I think you have a good case. Imagine any other instance where someone wants to manipulate your data to their advantage. Like it or not, encryption/wiping/security is to prevent implications in crimes. This is true whether or not you have committed any.