[ale] erasing a hard drive

[planas]

Hi

Thanks for descriptions.

On Tue, 2011-08-30 at 08:33 -0400, Fred Dinkler IV wrote: 

> Hi,
> Erase seems to be a vague term depending on your context and level of
> paranoia. Here are some more precice terms / methods people use to
> "Erase" their drive
> 
> Reformat
> 	re-creates a file system
> 	Will protact your data from people that dont have any knowledge
> 	nearly full data recovery possible, most formats do not seek and remove
> backup file tables, simple recovery possible
> 	example linux command: mkfs.ext2 /dev/sda1
> 
> repartition
> 	re-draws file system boundaries
> 	barely better than reformat
> 	nearly full data recovery possible, have to seek for backup file
> tables, data cutter (foremost) also very effective
> 	example linux command: fdisk /dev/sda
> 
> reinstall OS
> 	Usually used with repartition and reformat
> 	overwrites random data in relation to previous data, but will typically
> occupy the same footprint as previous OS install
> 	large amount of data recovery still possible with data cutter (ie
> foremost )
> 	
> zero drive
> 	blanks all data with zeros
> 	software recovery impossible
> 	recovery with Magnetic force microscope
> 	example linux command: dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda
> 
> shred drive
> 	repeated over write of drive with structured, random, and blank data
> 	no known recovery options
> 	utilities such as DBAN and *nix shred command
> 
> physical destruction
> 	if you simply snap the platter in half the halves can be subject to
> Magnetic force microscope recovery.
> 	Thermite is widely accepted as thorough in its destruction of the drive
> platters and silicon buffers that data could be read from. Also very
> dangerous to handle. Let me say that again, as it cannot be understated,
> very dangerous to handle. Once you light it you cannot extinguish it.
> Thermite is dangerous.
> 
> I have no good information on demagnetizers
> 
> so, unless you are in the intelligence or finacncial industries, zero
> the drive and be done with it. if you are in inteligence or finacncial
> industries hire someone like iron mountain to take care of it, they have
> shredders that can eat volvos, hard drive confetti is pretty thoroughly
> "erased"
> 	
> Thermite is dangerous.
> 
> On 08/26/2011 07:21 AM, Geoffrey Myers wrote:
> > I've drawn a blank.  What is the name of that free software that I can 
> > use to erase a hard drive?  It will run multiple overwrites?
> > 
> > I've got a number of old drives I need to dispose of and I don't want to 
> > bother trying to figure out what's on them.
> > 
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-- 
Jay Lozier
jslozier at gmail.com
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