[Tfug] Destroying a hard drive

[Bexley Hall]

--- Robert Hunter <hunter at tfug.org> wrote:

> On 9/8/07, Rich <r-lists at studiosprocket.com> wrote:
> 
> > Forensic data recovery techniques are getting
> better all the time.
> 
> I heard a story about some cops who busted up a meth
> den.  Apparently,
> therein they found shredded documents that were in
> various stages of
> being "puzzled" back together.  Yes, people will go
> to extraordinary measures to get your data.

Was it "spaghetti" shreds or *confetti* shreds?
Order of magnitude of difference -- especially
since spaghetti shreds tend to hold their original
shape and relationship to each other.

> > But you have a point: people are so complacent
> about their data that
> > they'll just sell old drives without erasing them,
> consequently
> > there's little incentive to go to great lengths to
> physically put
> > data beyond the reach of petty criminals.
> 
> If I were going to start a crime syndicate ( this is
> strictly
> hypothetical, as I would never actually do such a
> thing! ), I would
> consider getting my hands on some sophisticated data
> recovery equipment. 
> So while the average street creature is probably not
> going to have that
> kind of money or know-how, if I were to pay him a
> few bucks for every
> drive he found in the dumpster, or he burgled... 
> you get the idea?

You would probably be surprised to find your *own*
purchase had put you on a watch list.  :>  A firm
that I worked with sold, among other things, small
"tablet presses" for laboratory work.  (think:
"pill prototyping" -- when you want to test a
formulation of a particular drug/agent and want to
get it into a convenient dosing form).

Apparently, sales of these are reported to the
authorities.  So, when some "Joe Average" got
"smart" and opted to buy one to make his own
*drugs*, he was quite surprised to find the police
one step ahead of him!  :>
 
> Unless the laws of physics are on your side, I say
> you can't be too
> paranoid about destroying sensitive data.



       
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