RE: Interesting One

["Michael Vaughan" <list () predator-hunter com>]

Folks,

Here is how to erase a hard drive securely.

1) Boot to a floppy and wipe it securely using a program that randomly
encrypts the sectors on the hard drive as it runs 10-20 times.
2) Take the Hard Drive out of the computer/server and set it on a bench
AWAY from other magnetically sensitive materials.  
3) Take a natural magnet and set it on top of the hard drive for a
couple of days.
2) Take the Hard Drive and go outside.  
4) Take a hammer to it and ENSURE you shatter the platters. Think of end
users tends to motivate me a little...  :)
5) Take apart the hard drive and dump the platter pieces into a bag.
6)(Optional) Dump the pieces of platter in a river and hope no one sees
you do it.

I was told this by a person with a 3 letter federal agency.  They best
way to erase a hard drive (for the average person) with critical data is
the above minus #5 & #6.  

If it was me...I would simply securely destroy the hard drive and buy a
new one.  Any more than 15-30 minutes is wasting my time.  I typically
wipe the drive a few times and hammer the sucker to pieces.  I have had
to do it for some clients...

-Michael Vaughan
mvaughan () predator-hunter com
http://www.predator-hunter.com

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-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Darden [mailto:dld2517 () yahoo com] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 11:35 PM
To: John Orr; security-basics () security-focus com
Subject: RE: Interesting One

John,

Think atomically.  There can be millions of atoms in a apace the size of
a
pin tip.  A write head need not turn every atom in a layer of magnetic
material one way or the other.  It only needs to turn just enough
'clearly'
one way in order for the read head to pick it up again.  If we talk
about a
layer of magnetic material that is just .0001" thick we are still
talking
about layers upon layers upon layers (need I go on....) of atomic
material.

It can be done!


Dan Darden.

===========================================
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questions and information.

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-----Original Message-----
From: John Orr [mailto:JOrr () austinbank com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 12:15 PM
To: dadams () johncrowley co uk; security-basics () security-focus com
Subject: Re: Interesting One


  Personally, I think he is full of... hot air.

  Bits are either "on" or "off", "1" or "0".  If you change that pattern
(i.e. write over the same data area with a different sequence of bits),
then
the previous state of that field would not be determinable.  Granted,
there
may be some residual magnetic field left on a particular area that is
now
"0" that had been "1", but the converse would not be true.  There would
be
no residual field to read on an area that is now "1" that had been "0".

  Sounds like sales fluff to me.

  Anyway, that is my opinion, based on years of experience and a good
knowledge of physics.

-John

--------------------------------------
John Orr
VP/CIO
Austin Bank
903.759.3828 x2113
903.297.3094 fax
jorr () austinbank com

> > > "Dave Adams" <dadams () johncrowley co uk> 10/28/02 04:06PM >>>
Greetings Folks,

I had an interesting conversation today with someone from FAST
(Federation
Against Software Theft) They pretend not to be a snitch wing of the BSA.
Anyway, to get to the point, the guy that came to see me said that their
forensics guys could read data off a hard drive that had been written
over
up to thirty times. I find this very hard to believe and told him I
thought
he was mistaken but the guy was adamant that it could be done. My
question
is, does anyone have any views on this, or, can anyone point me to a
source
of information where I can get the facts on exactly how much data can be
retrieved off a hard drive and under what conditions etc etc.

Thanks

Dave Adams



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