| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 6:34:58 PM | We all tend to upgrade our computers every so often, but you start hearing on the news about more and more people finding sensitive data from old hard drives left in computers which leads me to this question.
When you get rid of your computer, what software do you use to wipe your hard drive?
Free vs Paid?
How many times have you used it?
Etc.. | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 6:55:29 PM | | I usually just reformat the hard drive and reinstall the basic system software. | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 6:59:08 PM | | If your concerned about the data use a pair of and cut the cables that connect the drive to the circuit board on the bottom. Or drill a whole all the way through the drive. | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 7:40:45 PM | I don't use any software. The last time I got rid of a computer, I had tried at least a handful of times to reload the O/S onto it without success so I just e-cycled the machine at a nearby Staples.
I did enjoy seeing what the guys at the office do which involves a pick axe, a Bobcat and some other construction gear re-enacting the scene in "Office Space" with the printer and the baseball bat. | |
|
granz
|
Joined: 6/22/2009
Msg: 5 | |
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 7:50:39 PM | | Encrypt the entire partition, then reset all the pins. No need to make several passes at it if your data is going to appear as garbage to anyone who salvages it, anyway. | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 8:00:06 PM | Depends really...
So work I do requires me to use software rated to a certain standard.
KillDisk works well, it has a US DoD rating and an MoD rating so Im allowed to use that one, I also limit the amount of disks I use in systems I use for those systems for the periodic inspections they do...
All very much a pain the the proverbials, only ever had one machine taken away for inspection though...
For a while a few years ago I was the only specialist HDD data recovery "agent" on the island where I live, its surprising what you can recover from a HDD even after 7 or 8 formats, even if data is written to every block on the HDD...
With my HDDs being in RAIDs you dont need to worry about "killing" data, the lack of the rest of the RAID set means even if you can recover the data it doesnt make any sense so its unusable without the rest of the set, but when I do need to get rid of a good disk I always use KillDisk | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 8:52:10 PM | dBan it the about the best data wiping /nuking progam to use , it is an open source project ( free ) which is based on Linux and you can create a bootable , floppy , CD or USB stick for it.
http://www.dban.org/ | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 9:14:08 PM | I prefer KillDisk, you can do it from Windows...
Just add the disk using a USB adapter and run KillDisk for Windows and you can go...
it can of course make a CD/DVD floppy or USB based wipe utillity too of course | |
|
granz
|
Joined: 6/22/2009
Msg: 9 | |
| Data Security
Posted: 8/30/2009 10:26:48 PM |
dBan it the about the best data wiping /nuking progam to use , it is an open source project ( free ) which is based on Linux and you can create a bootable , floppy , CD or USB stick for it.
My personal favorite, as well. | |
|
- don
|
Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 10 | |
| Data Security
Posted: 8/31/2009 3:25:13 AM | For non-sensitive data, Lysol works well & is very fast or I just install a fresh OS on it.
For sensitive/business related data... like granz said, disk encryption works well, and I've used dban a number of times w/the DoD 7 pass
(There are software & hardware methods of recovering wiped data from disks so the more wipes/passes, the less likely it will be recovered) | |
|
- don
|
Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 11 | |
| Data Security
Posted: 8/31/2009 10:47:00 AM | Should explain my Lysol suggestion, it's a 3MB bootable CD not the spray...lol, don't spray your drive with Lysol spray.
http://www.bauer-power.net/2007/08/quick-wipe-hard-drives-using-lysol.html | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 8/31/2009 1:48:13 PM |
Should explain my Lysol suggestion, it's a 3MB bootable CD not the spray...lol, don't spray your drive with Lysol spray.
http://www.bauer-power.net/2007/08/quick-wipe-hard-drives-using-lysol.html
But.. But... I WANT TO! LOL | |
|
- don
|
Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 13 | |
| Data Security
Posted: 8/31/2009 2:14:33 PM | LOL....I know you know better, hahaha...
(just clarifying for those who don't) | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 9/1/2009 8:46:58 AM | | I am going to personally have to agree with killdisk. One of the best, easiest progrmas, can work within or outside the OS to start, and it is good for just a small easy format, all the way up to 35 pass wipe that no one is getting any old data from the drive. Just a note, the "free" version only comes with a basic wipe which is not what you are specifically looking for, so you would want the entire program and not the "free" version...Just a thought | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 9/1/2009 11:51:41 AM | I don't use software. I find that a three pound weight on the end of a handle will do the job quickly and is quite efficient.  | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 9/1/2009 4:33:19 PM |
I don't use software. I find that a three pound weight on the end of a handle will do the job quickly and is quite efficient
No a bad idea, but not always a good idea to destroy an asset, especially when that asset is worth £70-90 on the 2nd user market...
I guess it all depends on what size disk it is you are wiping, and what was on it.
Ive been locked into some contracts which stipulated the disks [and any copies/backups etc] used remain the property of the client, and some who insist on the data is wiped to a certain standard...
Its horses for courses...
Ive never actually physically destroyed a HDD myself though, not using brute force anyways lol | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 9/1/2009 7:12:29 PM | Being a computer technician and frequently adding second hard drives for additional storage, I use a program called Active Kill Disk
http://www.killdisk.com/
Works good, takes a while depending on how secure you want the wipe to be. | |
|
| Data Security
Posted: 9/1/2009 7:14:16 PM | | I also wanted to mentioned, that with data security software / unerase / recovery / formatting tools you really do pay for what you get. Common sense says paid software applications are going to work far better than free tools, and provide better or more features. | |
|
Home
login 
