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What to use to secure delete a HDD?
ewemoa:
JoTo,
Whether you believe it or not:
Number of overwrites needed
Data on floppy disks can sometimes be recovered by forensic analysis even after the disks have been overwritten once with zeros (or random zeros and ones). This is not the case with modern hard drives. The bits on modern drives are so small that deviation of tracks between writes cannot be discerned by any means[citation needed].
According to the 2006 NIST Special Publication 800-88 (p. 7): "Studies have shown that most of today’s media can be effectively cleared by one overwrite" and "for ATA disk drives manufactured after 2001 (over 15 GB) the terms clearing and purging have converged."[6]
According to the Center for Magnetic Recording Research, "Secure erase does a single on-track erasure of the data on the disk drive. The U.S. National Security Agency published an Information Assurance Approval of single pass overwrite, after technical testing at CMRR showed that multiple on-track overwrite passes gave no additional erasure."[7] "Secure erase" is a utility built into modern ATA hard drives that overwrites all data on a disk, including remapped (error) sectors.
Further analysis by Wright et al. seems to also indicate that one overwrite is all that is generally required.[8]
--- End quote ---
From:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Data_erasure#Number_of_overwrites_needed
JoTo:
Hi ewemoa (Acronym hidden for IRC channel use only <- Insider joke for regular irc channel members!) ;D
Who am i not to believe!? Thank you for pointing that out.
BUT, what makes me REALLY suspicious is, that NSA agreed to it too. That stinks for me. I am sure they only claim that one shot overwrite is enough because they are able to recover easily and just want to keep their business as easy as possible, wrapping the public in the dream of safety. ;D
For me, this NSA agreement, is a clear sign, that i have to come back to that i have to overwrite 35+ times my hdd data (and then still use my sledgehammer at it), as i trust the NSA (and many other LEAs) as far as i am capable throwing a 16 tons stone by hand. :(
The only thing is, IS the NSA interested in the data of MY hdd? I don't think so. ;D
Greetins
Osama bin laden ... errrrr....JoTo of course! ;D ;D ;D
Deozaan:
-1 for DBAN - all you need is a regular Windows format - be sure to do a full format (ie, not ticking the "quick format" checkbox).
-f0dder (June 01, 2010, 05:59 PM)
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But how do you use regular Windows format on the only HDD in a PC?
Format the partition from the Windows installer disc?
ewemoa:
The only thing is, IS the NSA interested in the data of MY hdd? I don't think so. ;D
-JoTo (June 02, 2010, 02:55 AM)
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Not so fast -- how will they know until they take a look?
Do you think you are the only person to be using your PC for storage? ;)
JoTo:
@deozaan:
-1 for DBAN - all you need is a regular Windows format - be sure to do a full format (ie, not ticking the "quick format" checkbox).
-f0dder (June 01, 2010, 05:59 PM)
--- End quote ---
But how do you use regular Windows format on the only HDD in a PC?
Format the partition from the Windows installer disc?
-Deozaan (June 02, 2010, 03:41 AM)
--- End quote ---
Good point :/
@ewemoa:
The only thing is, IS the NSA interested in the data of MY hdd? I don't think so. ;D
-JoTo (June 02, 2010, 02:55 AM)
--- End quote ---
Not so fast -- how will they know until they take a look?
Do you think you are the only person to be using your PC for storage? ;)
-ewemoa (June 02, 2010, 03:48 AM)
--- End quote ---
WHAT? Others do it also? OMG! And i thought it was MY invention to do it. ;D
Greetings
JoTo
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