Disk Wipe in Linux?

[Diggs]

Who's using what to do disk wipes with Linux? Most of my wipes are on Linux machines using eSATA docks. I'm using command line shred but I'd sure like to find a GUI app. I thought ddRescue-GUI could do it but no joy that I can see.

(@add - Almost all my old drives met the 5 lb. sledge hammer in the past. I'm trying to be a little more enviro responsible these days(?).

Anyone else?

 

[Sky-Knight]

Secure deletes? I use DBAN https://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/

The Debian repo has a fork called nwipe that can be called from a command line and perform a wipe very much like DBAN can.

Honestly, the 5lb sledge is more efficient, then you take the smashed drives to a recycler. Electronic wipes aren't as secure, and take ages.

 

[Diggs]

... Electronic wipes aren't as secure, and take ages.

+1

Hmmm..... I can't remember what I didn't like about nwipe.

 

[coffee]

DD has a GUI frontend and you can select /dev/null for your source and just run it. Should do the job.

 

[lcoughey]

Use the full disk erase in the disk utility.

 

[Altster]

Use the full disk erase in the disk utility.

But will this do a secure erase?

 

[lcoughey]

But will this do a secure erase?

Yes.

 

[GTP]

I do the same as what @lcoughey suggested above. Just use disk erase in the disk utility.

 

[Markverhyden]

dd. But I think the real problem is what interface is being used for the drive. USB2SATA interfaces are significantly slower than native SATA. If one does not want to preserve the drive for other uses, Hammer time.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Electronic wipes aren't as secure, and take ages.

The speed I agree about. But modern hard drives only need to be wiped with all zeros. You WILL not ever recover data from an over written drive. The idea that you need to make multiple passes is pure bs.

 

[coffee]

Correct me if Im wrong ...

If your going to get rid of the drive could you not just remove the controller board. Isnt the low level info on the drive stored on a chip on it? Seems that without this info it would have to be someone really wanting to recover the data have to go thru a lot to get to the info then?

Or just take a drill and drill the chips on the controller board and throw it out.

 

[Diggs]

Correct me if Im wrong ...

If your going to get rid of the drive could you not just remove the controller board. Isnt the low level info on the drive stored on a chip on it? Seems that without this info it would have to be someone really wanting to recover the data have to go thru a lot to get to the info then?

Or just take a drill and drill the chips on the controller board and throw it out.

There are those more qualified to answer but I'm assuming not as you can replace the board to recover data on the platters or move the platters to another drive with a good board to recover data.

Like I said, I used a 5 lb. sledge hammer in the past. Quick and thorough. I've just had some pangs of guilt that maybe the drives can be re-purposed and I should leave them whole but wiped.

 

[Altster]

Or just take a drill and drill the chips on the controller board and throw it out.

Drill ALL THE WAY THRU the drive, circuit board and all!

 

[GTP]

Destroying the drives deprives Data Recovery people the chance to use those drives for parts.

I have an arrangement with a guy here whereby I give him my old drives (wiped, although he wipes them again) and he gives me heavily discounted data recovery services - which I can offer to clients at a very much cheaper rate. Win/win!

This arrangement allows for a much better data recovery success rate for the client because although I do my best, I'm the novice - he's the expert!

 

[glennd]

Destroying the drives deprives Data Recovery people the chance to use those drives for parts.

I have an arrangement with a guy here whereby I give him my old drives (wiped, although he wipes them again) and he gives me heavily discounted data recovery services - which I can offer to clients at a very much cheaper rate. Win/win!

This arrangement allows for a much better data recovery success rate for the client because although I do my best, I'm the novice - he's the expert!

what about those non functioning drives that can't be wiped? is it just a trust thing?

 

[GTP]

what about those non functioning drives that can't be wiped? is it just a trust thing?

Yes, basically. The drives will only be used for parts - never be sold again, so we have a "trust" arrangement that data will not go where it shouldn't.
I guess people like @lcoughey, @labtech and @DataMedics would have to have a similar trust arrangement with their donors as well?

 

[labtech]

@Barcelona, yes, pretty much. Since the drives are pretty important for parts, especially the mechanics, we typically wipe them. If that is not possible due to severe bad sectors, then there are other ways to prevent access to the files (e.g. firmware alteration) in a manner where we don't need to physically destroy the drive.

 

[Markverhyden]

Yes, basically. The drives will only be used for parts - never be sold again, so we have a "trust" arrangement that data will not go where it shouldn't.
I guess people like @lcoughey, @labtech and @DataMedics would have to have a similar trust arrangement with their donors as well?

I also look at it from a practical point of view. If the drive is really dead, e.g. won't spin up, then it has to be repaired to access the data or move the platters to a new host. Both of which are time consuming, expensive, and involve risk. Data recovery businesses are just like other, they're here to make a profit. And wanking around trying to get someone's data off of a random drive, which may or may not have anything of value, is a money loosing proposition.

 

[GTP]

I also look at it from a practical point of view. If the drive is really dead, e.g. won't spin up, then it has to be repaired to access the data or move the platters to a new host. Both of which are time consuming, expensive, and involve risk. Data recovery businesses are just like other, they're here to make a profit. And wanking around trying to get someone's data off of a random drive, which may or may not have anything of value, is a money loosing proposition.

Exactly how I and James look at it!

 

[DataMedics]

I guess people like @lcoughey, @labtech and @DataMedics would have to have a similar trust arrangement with their donors as well?

We fully wipe them digitally (if possible) and re-test them when they come in and before they go into our donor drive inventory. On occasion, we do sell drives to other data recovery labs but we always verify a second time that they are 100% blank before shipping out. We do this because we don't always know which drives came in for wiping (which have already been verified as blank) and which ones we picked up on ebay for cases and didn't actually use. But, it serves as two lines of defense to prevent us ever mailing out a drive with someone's data on it.

If they can't be digitally wiped 100%, then we remove the platters, degauss them, and just keep the PCB in most cases.