Read about it here.
Posted on 09/03/2006 8:58:26 PM PDT by canuck_conservative
Erasing data from a computer is not as simple as the manufacturers would have you believe. Just deleting it or reformatting the hard drive does not remove the data, and the secure removal of data about individuals by companies is now a legal requirement.
There are a number of methods used to "delete" data from a hard drive. These methods do not remove the data, they simply make space available for the system to use when next required. The data remains on the disk. Readily available software tools can be used to restore the data. Some are even free.
When data is deleted, all that actually happens is that the computer marks the space as available for reuse - it does not remove the data. The only way to remove it is to overwrite it. But failing to delete data may result in identity theft, financial loss, fraud or blackmail. Such concerns have prompted Microsoft to add a drive encryption feature called BitLocker into its new Windows Vista system to protect data on a PC.
According to Nick Coleman, chief executive of the Institute of Computer Security Professionals, the Glamorgan research highlights a glaring problem for the computer industry. "This is about how you manage data to the end of its life and what is best practice. People are used to buying shredders to get rid of paper information; now they need to be pointed in the direction of properly accredited people who they know are competent to destroy the data for them."
There are disk wiping utilities and programs available that will erase data if correctly used. Some programs erase the entire disk, while others allow you to select which files or folders to erase. It is important that the utility or program provide an option to erase free space.
Life Cycle Services has a list of data removal programs and instructions at:
www.howtowipeyourdrive.com
Usually when I need to get rid of them I've been burying hard disks in a shallow grave with a lot of lime. No, wait, that's not hard disks I'm getting rid of. Uh, never mind, forget I posted anything.
Read about it here.
So a large magnet left on the drive for a while might be the best way to go shy of destroying the drive then?
In most building fires, the PCs get damaged not by the fire but by the water putting out the fire.
I wouldn't bet on it. There's too much metal in the case to count on the magnetic field wiping out the bits on the platters. Physical destruction is the only way to be sure. The software suggested above to write multiple ones and zeros over your data is good enough unless the CIA thinks you are important enough to rewire your hard disk or look at the platters with an electron microscope.
Maybe. That's one I can't really answer. I don't know. But I'd be surprised if HD's are suceptable to any but the largest external magnetic sources.
Well thanks for the information.
I don't care for myself, but know lots of doctors who have business computers and they are not allowed by law to share patient information.
So far I have all such friends destroy their hard drives since so much potential damage to patients could be had.
Well, I just toss mine in the recycle bin. I the CIA wants to go read a few new beer cans, let them.
I've got nothing to hide. I am not a doctor with personal patient information on the HD either.
In my many years of computers, did have one HD fail. An 8 year old IBM thinkpad.
Another tale from my mainframe days (mid 80's) ...
We needed more disk space on our computer, so we purchased some used 3380 hard drives. These things came in cabinets the size of double refrigerators. A cabinet held a pair of modules (if memory serves), and each module consisted of two spindles with a common drive mechanism. We're talking a dozen or two gigs for the price of a house (new).
Anyway, the drives were delivered, moved into place, and cabled up by our IBM Customer Engineer. But before we could use them, the needed to be sysgened (configured to the operating system). There was blizzard on, and I didn't want to drive home just yet, so I took on that task.
But first I decided to preview the drives by attaching them to my virtual machine (yes, we had VM back then). They turned out to contain a full set of source code and data tables for a mainframe payroll system that their former owner published (licenses cost a bundle!).
Oh, and then there was the time we got a bunch of magnetic tapes from a new client that held the client's records, which we were being hired to maintain. I noticed a bank sticker on one of the reels. Remembering that the client's previous service provider rented computer time from that bank, I got curious.
I used a utility I had written to force the tape past the double tape marks that demarcated the end of data, partway through the reel. As expected, the next data block was invalid. But there were a whole bunch of clean blocks after that one. It turned out the bank had used the tape as a "print tape", and the residual data was customer checking account statements!
I'm running a RAID U320 system with 5 SCSI 15K RPM Hard Drives. Just because I know how to build it. And there is a computer widow yelling at me to pay more attention to her. Good night.
I was not installing Windows. My hard drive stopped functioning. I want to retrieve data.
BUMP FOR LATER
Sorry, I was just comparing all those pictures of nukes going off with a Windows installation.
I see common sense is your strong suit. Great dumb question. I had the same question.
A campfire sounded a whole lot easier but you doused that hope with your article. Thanks for the link on an interesting read.
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