RE: Hard Drive data security

From: Leong Kok Wah Kenneth (LeongKWKenneth_at_ocbc.com.sg)
Date: 10/01/04

  • Next message: Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers: "Re: Windows 98 box is 'owned'" 
    Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 10:17:44 +0800
To: "Zachary Shay" <zshay@cc.gatech.edu>, "Paul Kurczaba" <paul@myipis.com>

    Hi, guys.

    May I join in the discussion?

    I have heard many people suggesting using hdd wiping program to
    permanently 'wash' the hdd until the data was unrecoverable. But
    questions are - 1. where do we get 'free' disk wiping program from the
    net?
          2. what assurance that it will do a good job using the 'free' disk
    wiping program as they are compared commerical licensed ones?
          
          3. Without using any hdd wiping s/w, has anyone try this method
    before and confirmed that they are not able to recover data of the
             1st set original set. (ie leaving the 1st original data intact,
    use ghost image or any other imaging s/w and restore any data
             image into the hdd. Next, use the fdisk and then re-format the
    hdd. Now, use any recovery software (any eg) tools and test to see
             if the recovered data belonging to the currently restored data
    (ie the imaged data) or the 1st original data?

    kenneth

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Zachary Shay [mailto:zshay@cc.gatech.edu]
    Sent: 01 October 2004 03:12
    To: Paul Kurczaba
    Cc: security-basics@securityfocus.com
    Subject: Re: Hard Drive data security

    Hey Paul,
        I would copy the data over to whatever you will use next, or simply
    just a backup cdr/dvd. Then I would use something like `dd` along with
    /dev/rand or /dev/zero. That may do what you want. Just deleting or
    formatting the drive will probably leave traces of data that can be
    recoverable. I am fairly sure that if you delete the data with a format
    and then rewrite over the data, then you will be safe.

    Zach Shay

    On Tue, 28 Sep 2004, Paul Kurczaba wrote:

    > Hi,
    > I have a question about hard drive data security. The hard drive on

    > my notebook is failing and Dell is going to replace it. They are going

    > to take the old one with them. How can I securely remove the data from

    > the hard drive?
    >
    > Thanks,
    > Paul
    >
    >
    >

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  • Next message: Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers: "Re: Windows 98 box is 'owned'"

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