Posted on 04/20/2005 7:11:32 AM PDT by Mike Bates
Tax records, resumes, photo albums--the modern hard drive can keep increasingly larger volumes of information at the ready. But that can turn into a problem when it comes to effectively erasing the devices.
There are a number of options for cleansing the drives of unwanted computers, from special wiping software to destruction services to manufacturers' recycling programs. But what many PC owners don't realize, experts say, is that these methods are often not enough.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.com ...
...particularly after you've used it for target practice...
If a little overkill is good, a whole lot is better...'-)
Section Il. DEMOLITION OF MATERIEL TO PREVENT ENEMY USE
29. Authority for Demolition
Demolition of the equipment will be accomplished only upon the order of the commander. The destruction procedures outlined in paragraph 30 will be used to prevent further use of the equipment.
30. Methods of Destruction
Use any of the following methods to destroy the equipment.
a. Smash. Smash capacitors, transformer, resistors, sockets, plugs, control switch, and vibrators; use sledges, axes, handaxes, pickaxes, hammers, or crowbars.
Cut: Cut the input cable and wiring. Use axes, handaxes or machetes.
Burn: Burn the input cable and technical manuals. Use gasoline, oil, flame throwers, or incendiary grenades.
Bend: Bend the panel and case.
Explode: If explosives are necessary, use firearms, grenades, or TNT.
Dispose: Bury or scatter the destroyed parts in slit trenches, foxholes, or throw them into streams.
Yup. While information may be recovered, it's a cost-vs-profit ratio issue. Just deleting everything then overwriting everything is enough unless you have some VERY valuable data to eliminate.
Under most conditions, it's far easier to resort to "rubber hose crypography" than CSI/NSA-type data recovery.
Trying to spell words correctly only supports the Bush Doctrine of Power Grab in State Schools / Leave No Child Behind ideology. Spelling words incorrectly is, therefore, a tool in support of the states' rights to look, act, and be stupid.
In other words, anyone who spells correctly: it's Bush's fault.
The worst I ever saw as a tech support weenie was someone who tried to undelete a file by using - as just a flippant guess on her part - "recover.com". Without prompting, it renamed EVERY file on her hard drive to FILE0000.REC, FILE0001.REC, etc. (recover.com presumes the entire directory structure has been corrupted and rebuilds it from the FAT table.) That was my most frustrating call: all of her information was still there, we just had no idea which file was which.
Your office is in a Faraday Cage, right? NO???
Yeah. If someone is trading in or giving their computer away, it's very easy just to wipe the drive and remove it. You could throw in a cheap 40 Gig hard drive to replace the one you removed and just hang on to the old one for awhile, then destroy it.
That's what happened to Vince Foster's computer. The Clintons know how to cover their tracks.
LOL. I hope Mr. Mew doesn't see this thread. He'll have visions of new tools dancing in his head :)
Hillary could give shredding classes to first year IT students. I'm sure the clinton's could write the book on file shredding, document security, and data deletion.
I wonder if soaking one's hard drive in muriatic acid for a time would destroy it...
Get him one of these and he can cut anything apart. Heh!! Heh!!
You'd be surprised what won't destroy it...
I think a little C4 would do the job though.
Muriatic acid? (scratching head) Would I hafta milk some ants for that?
No way baby! (typed from inside my Faraday cage)
Thank you for that concise explanation. Now I need some aspirin.
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