Best way of securely erasing a drive.

[Codesmith]

Right now I am using some open source eraser program with a bad user interface.

I am just wondering what other people use to erase a drive before giving it to someone else, or when accepting a drive from someone who wants their privacy protected.

BTW hitting it with a hammer/shredding is not an option. Nor am I worried about some advanced imaging technology that the NSA/FBI/CIA may possess.

I just want to render all data permanently unrecovereable by any and all software utilities via easiest and quickest method available.

If it the utility also lets me wipe the free space on a drive or securely delete files, then so much the better.

Any suggestions?

 

[1Tanker]

Right now I am using some open source eraser program with a bad user interface.

I am just wondering what other people use to erase a drive before giving it to someone else, or when accepting a drive from someone who wants their privacy protected.

BTW hitting it with a hammer/shredding is not an option. Nor am I worried about some advanced imaging technology that the NSA/FBI/CIA may possess.

I just want to render all data permanently unrecovereable by any and all software utilities via easiest and quickest method available.

If it the utility also lets me wipe the free space on a drive or securely delete files, then so much the better.

Any suggestions?

I use Eraser, but it sounds like what you're using. I like it.

 

[4745454b]

I like strangestangers idea, but I would add one thing. Once you have the large .iso file on it (just rip a dvd onto it with dvdshrink, then copy the .iso as many times as needed...) shut the computer down, and run it through a degause machine. (big wire loop, used to fix monitors.) It should cause EVERYTHING in the drive to flip/move. Come to think about it, it might damage the drive heads to..., nevermind.

 

[bmouring]

I'm a fan of Darik's Boot-n-Nuke. It ain't going to win an beauty contests (it's a menu-based text environment) but it's a s secure as you want, from a 1-pass zero to a many-pass random.

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

 

[Codesmith]

I sometimes zero a drive using a hard drive diganostic utlity from Ultimate Boot CD, but usually I prefer to plug a drive into my IDE to USB dongle and erase it wihtout restarting.

I am a heavy multitasker and shutting down my PC to acomplish something isn't alwasy a good option for me..

Anyway you guessed correctly. Eraser 5.3, is the open source program I am currently using. I am just a bit underwhelmed by the user interface, it took me a few minutes to figure out how to use it properly.

Plus it just won't let me erase the freespace and files in one step. First I have select the freespace on the drive and erase that, then I have to select the root folder and erase that and all the sub-folders. Selecting type of erase delectes the olther.

Now that I think about it I could just manually delete everything, then securely erase the free space, but thats still two steps.

A one step full erase option would be nice.

I do however like it better now that I found the pesudo-random 1 pass option. I think for my needs the the 3-5 pass DOD methods are overkill.

 

[blue68f100]

I use eraser57, a 35 pass there is not a chance of recovery.

 

[1Tanker]

I think for my needs the the 3-5 pass DOD methods are overkill.

I set mine at 10 passes, still better than DoD. I also Erase every file, i don't "delete" anything to the Recycle Bin.


I use Eraser 5.7 also.

 

[angry_ducky]

I like to use a big, strong magnet.

 

[1Tanker]

I like to use a big, strong magnet.

I liked it when Kevin Rose used Thermite on the Screen Savers...That

did the trick.

 

[bmouring]

I like to use a big, strong magnet.

This is of course possible but much harder than you (probably) think. The required surface field to degauss a current hard drive is on the order of thousands of Gauss. Normal rare-earth magnets have a surface field of around 1000 Gauss. For a bar configuration, the strength of the field decreases at a cubic rate (1/x^3). This greatly decreases the field quickly, depending greatly on the size and the shape of the magnet, but we're still talking 1/8 or less magnitude with only around a centimeter distance.

You'd either have to acquire a commercial degausser (retails for a few thousand new, can rent or buy a used for less of course) or get some really good rare earth magnets, like large grade N45 stuff, and even then that might not be sufficient.

Links if you care to look into it more:
http://easycdduplication.stores.yahoo.net/v94.html
http://www.dansdata.com/magnets.htm
http://instruct.tri-c.edu/fgram/web/Mdipole.htm

 

[Codesmith]

10 passes?

You are not going to be able to pull anything off a drive overwritten once with pseudo random number unless someone takes the drive apart in a clean room environment and uses some very sophisicated equipment.

Even most data recovery labs simply remount the platters into an identical model hard drive and try to read the data that way.

However if you work for a bank's IT department, or any other insitution holding personal data then it's, then keep up the good work, and don't forget to use encryption on those laptops.

 

[insomniak]

Have you tried PGP. This will only work if u can have the drive plugged in while u have another drive with windows attached aswell.