Securely delete files...

[Kunal Shah]

Robert J. Hansen wrote:
> Faramir wrote:
>> lets say I just want to avoid recovery software like "get data back"
>> being able to recover a file. Is there a reliable way to do it
>> without going to "extreme" solutions?
> 
> No.
> 
>> I have seen advices about using ccleaner, fileshredder, erase57, and
>> other tools like those
> 
> For the most part, these tools exist to make people feel better about
> doing something to make their data unrecoverable.  I am unaware of any
> evidence either that they are effective, or that they are any better
> than more commonplace solutions.
> 
> For a new drive, pick up full volume encryption software.  Don't let
> anything get written to the disk that's not encrypted.  If someone wants
> to recover your information later, I wish them luck.
> 
> For an existing drive, destroy it.  Just how much you need to destroy it
> (a hammer to the drive platters, or thermiting the entire assembly) will
> depend on just how well-financed your opponents are.

I wouldn't argue about methods discussed here to destroy the disk.
However one consideration is, what data we are talking about. In my
CISSP course, I was not taught to *destroy* data or protect it. I was
just taught to make it so difficult for hacker to access it so that
compare to the amount of time spent on recovery and resource it is
worthless.

All the methods discuss here, *putting it on blast furnace*, what data
would *you* (not talking about matter of national security) be having on
a disk that a hacker will get access to the millions of pieces of your
hard drive, try to join them and get data out of it :-)

> 
> A while ago there was a decent article at _Computer World_, outlining
> data destruction for non-technical types.  You may find it interesting.
>  You can find it at the following (really long) URL, or just by going to
> Google and entering "site:www.computerworld.com Hope data destruction".
> 
> http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=17&articleId=9016322&intsrc=hm_topic
> 
> 
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