Re: [Nolug] Why geeks don't wipe hard drives...

On 03/24/2011 04:25 PM, John Souvestre wrote:
> Hi Ron.
>
> >> If you are planning on selling them or giving them away, then a 1 pass
> >> wipe isn't really protecting your data from anything...you're gonna
> >> need to spend waay more than 3 hours to do a "secure" wipe ;)
> >
> > And that's a myth.
> > http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/secure_del.html#Epilogue
> >
> > Read the further epilogue: '"A good scrubbing with random data will do
> > as well as can be expected". This was true in 1996, and is still true
> now.'
> >
> > So, a single pass writing random data is all that's necessary.
>
> The NSA would like you to believe that. :)
>

But there is No Such Agency...

> I've played with magnetic recording a bit in the past, mainly with mag tape.
> I could see the effects of a previous image on the current image. I don't
> understand why this wouldn't be true for disk, also.
>

Different recording methods and densities. Especially if it's an
ancient tape format.

-- 
"Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure
the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally
corrupt."
Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749
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