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Post by brubacca on Mar 26, 2016 10:44:39 GMT -5
One of my drives in my NAS is starting to fail. I have a replacement. I am in process of switching it out.
What are people doing these days for a secure erase? I always did the Hammer / Chisel method (literally a hammer and screwdriver).
I have read about programs that erase, then write all zeros, repeat for x amount of times.
Any guidance?
Nothing crazy on the drive, but personal information is personal information.
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Post by copperpipe on Mar 26, 2016 11:40:03 GMT -5
The best way is to overwrite the entire disk with random data, multiple times depending on paranoia level. Some people overwrite 2 to 7 times. Then after that using a hammer and chisel. Me, I just overwrite one time, remove the circuit board on the disk, smash with a hammer a few times, and drop it in the recycle box at the electronic waste center nearby. Good enough for most scenarios, but I'm not trying to keep out the spooks either.
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Post by Loop 7 on Mar 26, 2016 11:50:41 GMT -5
I agree with copperpipe, covering the entire disk with new, random data is the best. However, if you have access to an industrial oven capable of at least 2,750 degrees (F), melting the drive down would eliminate even the most paranoid.
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Mar 26, 2016 12:22:46 GMT -5
Pull the drive and take it to a commercial degauser and/or shredder.
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Post by supermac on Mar 26, 2016 12:30:53 GMT -5
make a camp fire in back yard - toss it in and walk away
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Post by DavidR on Mar 26, 2016 12:35:34 GMT -5
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bootman
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Post by bootman on Mar 26, 2016 15:54:22 GMT -5
If the drive is failing you might not be able to do a full wipe before it finally fails. But it is worth a try before taking it to get recycled. www.dban.org/ |
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Post by novisnick on Mar 26, 2016 16:29:37 GMT -5
Use her mothod, " you mean wipe it with a cloth?"  |
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Post by Chuck Elliot on Mar 26, 2016 20:25:22 GMT -5
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Post by yves on Mar 27, 2016 3:01:05 GMT -5
If the drive is failing you might not be able to do a full wipe before it finally fails. But it is worth a try before taking it to get recycled. www.dban.org/ Yup. Unlike other software, DBAN is totally secure. |
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Post by Jim on Mar 27, 2016 8:22:25 GMT -5
If the drive is failing you might not be able to do a full wipe before it finally fails. But it is worth a try before taking it to get recycled. www.dban.org/ Yup. Unlike other software, DBAN is totally secure. DBAN is the only thing I hear of anymore - unless you physically destroy the drive. I think DOD wipe is the way you want to go if you're really excited about multiple wipes for days....  I've always thought the risk of successful data recovery was minimal off of a drive that's been RAIDED (most types of striping RAID anyway). A block of a file isn't much use. |
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Post by brubacca on Mar 27, 2016 8:49:58 GMT -5
I put the drive into my desktop (disconnecting the other drives) and booted into a LiveCD of Ubuntu. It was not readabke by default in Linux. I had to partion it and put a MBR on it. I then formatted with all zeros (took 8 hours). Now I am reformatting with an encrypted file system (all zeros again). I totally made the password up and will let it run another 8 hours.
I may try dban on top of it, then take the hammer to it.
Thanks for the suggestions
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hemster
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Post by hemster on Mar 27, 2016 10:54:29 GMT -5
^Just install iTunes on it and a bunch of music tracks... scrambled and sunny side up!   J/K... |
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Post by Chuck Elliot on Mar 27, 2016 11:42:04 GMT -5
I reality the only thing I do is do a full format of the drive and then a couple of smacks with a hammer to break the circuit board.
Rarely do I see the CIA/DIA/NSA out dump picking and I'm sure they have methods far better to get my data if the want it.
Platter data recovery costs 100s of dollars and is just not worth the efforts of anyone looking for passwords!
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Post by wilburthegoose on Mar 27, 2016 13:08:25 GMT -5
I'm a dban fan.
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Post by MusicHead on Mar 27, 2016 15:16:41 GMT -5
I put the drive into my desktop (disconnecting the other drives) and booted into a LiveCD of Ubuntu. It was not readabke by default in Linux. I had to partion it and put a MBR on it. I then formatted with all zeros (took 8 hours). Now I am reformatting with an encrypted file system (all zeros again). I totally made the password up and will let it run another 8 hours. I may try dban on top of it, then take the hammer to it. Thanks for the suggestions I am quite proficient with computers, but not a professional. Hence, a question for those of you that are: Once a Hard Drive has been overwritten bit by bit with all zeros or random data, why bother with the physical destruction of it? What could be possibly recovered? Is it even possible that residual magnetization of the platter from the original data maybe be usable with the right tool? Other than this far fetched possibility, I cannot think of any other way that previously stored data could be recovered once each and every bit is rewritten. |
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Post by Chuck Elliot on Mar 27, 2016 16:21:31 GMT -5
Is it even possible that residual magnetization of the platter from the original data maybe be usable with the right tool? Yes, this is why the DOD spec requires 7 write cycles! Unlikely, but it can be done! |
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Post by Jim on Mar 27, 2016 16:23:36 GMT -5
I put the drive into my desktop (disconnecting the other drives) and booted into a LiveCD of Ubuntu. It was not readabke by default in Linux. I had to partion it and put a MBR on it. I then formatted with all zeros (took 8 hours). Now I am reformatting with an encrypted file system (all zeros again). I totally made the password up and will let it run another 8 hours. I may try dban on top of it, then take the hammer to it. Thanks for the suggestions I am quite proficient with computers, but not a professional. Hence, a question for those of you that are: Once a Hard Drive has been overwritten bit by bit with all zeros or random data, why bother with the physical destruction of it? What could be possibly recovered? Is it even possible that residual magnetization of the platter from the original data maybe be usable with the right tool? Other than this far fetched possibility, I cannot think of any other way that previously stored data could be recovered once each and every bit is rewritten. Have you seen Office Space? You know the scene where they are beating the printer with a baseball bat? It's like that. It's cathartic to physically destroy a hard drive! Die you little bits. Me? I've just been taking drives apart to make a wind chime with the platters and collect the neodymium magnets. |
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Post by Jim on Mar 27, 2016 16:26:00 GMT -5
I don't recommend microwaving hard drives - but it's a quick way to make the circuit board and some of the internals fry nicely.
Mmmmm... Cooked stepper motor.
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Post by drtrey3 on Mar 27, 2016 16:40:56 GMT -5
I love the smell of cooked stepper motor in the morning.
It smells like security.
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