[nflug] Wiping hard drive sensitive personal data

[Mark Robson]

I admire your focus on the physics, Brad.  I have no experience in current hardware, but back in the days of magnetic tape, it was useful to have some very large magnets. Probably couldn't re-use the drive, though.  
   
  

Brad Bartram <brad.bartram at gmail.com> wrote:
  As with everything, it comes down to a cost / benefit analysis.  What is the maximum amount that data is worth in comparison to the price it would cost to recover?  Is it worth enough to have a specific data recovery company, or well equipped independent take a serious interest in it?  Is it somthing that the government would be interested in tracking down as part of an anti-terrorism investigation where the budget goes beyond what we have as mere mortals? 

The ultimate question comes down to the disposition of the drive once you're done.  If you are trying to reuse the drive after securely removing the data, then appropriate measures of data destruction should be taken.  Example, if the systems will be redeployed internally within the same organization and at the same level of confidentiality, then use whatever methods you are most comfortable.  If the systems are to be wiped and redeployed to a level of lesser trust, then use a stronger wipe.  If the system is going to be taken completely out of service, then depending on the data whether it be customer information or trade secrets or whatever, you have to decide whether to wipe the drive and hope for the best or destroy the drive safely. 

The only way to be certain that the data on a hard drive is truly wiped is to disassemble the drive, chisel the coating from the platters, remove the controller from the drive, and burn the case, platters, platter dust, and controllers in seperate incinerators.  But then that just gets a little paranoid.  Then again, never underestimate the abilities of well funded organizations to recover data, even when you think it's destroyed. 

brad

  On 7/20/06, Darin Perusich <Darin.Perusich at cognigencorp.com> wrote:  i believe it depends on the type of wiping method you use. if you use
the Canadian RCPM and American DoD standard methods the data is pertty
much irrecoverable.

eric wrote:
> Can Sleuth Kit recover data after using one or many of the methods DBAN 
> has to offer?
>

--
Darin Perusich
Unix Systems Administrator
Cognigen Corporation
395 Youngs Rd.
Williamsville, NY 14221
darinper at cognigencorp.com 
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Mark Robson


 		
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