How To Permanently Delete Data Information?

StormLiong · May 2005

<div class="IPBDescription">to the point where even FBI cant retriev</div> I was wondering how does one delete (digitally) data information thoroughly enough that even the FBI cant retrieve.

Ive heard that FBI uses OnTrack which can retrieve information that has been overwrittern like 15 times at most.

Your typical deletion software probably only overwrites deleted information a few times only.

Although an idea i had was that before you delete your data, you encrypt it with PGP (which is supposed to be uncrackable?) and then delete it. Would that work?

Cyndane · May 2005

Or.. you can just use a HUGE magnet and put it next to the harddrive and run it in circles all over the places.

Of course one side effect, is that you you can't use said harddrive anymore.

BobTheJanitor · May 2005

Fdisk the master boot record and then use a zero-filling or low-level formatting utility would be my best guess. WHAT ARE YOU HIDING CITIZEN?

KungFuDiscoMonkey · May 2005

Makes me wonder what is so valuable you don't want to have the FBI recover it.

Venmoch · May 2005

See, if I was going to be some sort of super cyber-criminal (Not that I plan to be) I'd set up a large battery powered Electro-Magnet and strap it to the side of the computer. With a panic button with one of those flip-top switches. Like you'd see on a fighter jet or something. That way I can't hit it accidently.

As far as backup media, floppy disks rock!

StormLiong · May 2005

Confidential Copyrighted Material XD

Seriously though, its just out of curiosity. It amazed me that enforcement agencies can retrieve information thats been like so overwrittern. Makes you wonder if ANY information you keep in your computer is safe from prying eyes.

And i asked how to permanely delete data DIGITALLY. Physically there is so many ways <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

Lt_Patch · May 2005

Low level it, then use a zero filling program.

Repeat x 20

It'll take the better part of a week, or 3, but your data will be very much gone <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

esuna · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Venmoch @ May 26 2005, 06:10 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> See, if I was going to be some sort of super cyber-criminal (Not that I plan to be) I'd set up a large battery powered Electro-Magnet and strap it to the side of the computer. With a panic button with one of those flip-top switches. Like you'd see on a fighter jet or something. That way I can't hit it accidently.

As far as backup media, floppy disks rock!  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Reminds me of a movie, i think it was The Core, where he had his big magnet gun just incase of the FBI catching him. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

Nikon · May 2005

low level format ftw!

and to be honest, if you are giving a harddrive away with such information on it(or was EVER on it), you are retarded. Hard drives are relatively inexpensive now, you might as well burn the drive if its THAT important. Spending 3 weeks to erase data off a drive either means you would be better off shattering the plates after magnetizing them, or you have WAY too much time on your hands and need a new hobbie.

BulletHead · May 2005

only 2 ways to FULLY erase something

#1) Delete it... then overwrite it and delete it and overwrite it 100 + times with another file to erase the magnetic signature

#2) Electromagnet

There is a third...

#3) Nuke the bitsh (MICROWAVE OVEN)

ever see the movie "The Core" ? Rat has the best setup I've EVER seen XD

Cold_NiTe · May 2005

Oh god guys, always take care when microwaving random things. I've had a few... situations with that **** so I can tell you it's best not to be an idiot. It is cool seeing blue fire like that though.

BlackMage · May 2005

for data to be almost irrecoverable with consumer technology:
rewrite sectors 3x with cryptographically random bits

for data to be 'fbi-proof'
same, but at least 5x

if you don't want *anyone* knowing what kind of smut you look at in the wee hours of the morning: rewrite 15x, format, wipe (rewrite over the whole disc) at least 3x and then format again.

not paranoid enough:
do the above, remove platters. grab some fuel, a lighter and some pliers. have fun.

Soylent_green · May 2005

A pound of thermite ought to do it, wear welding goggles.

CommunistWithAGun · May 2005

Nothing short of physically destroying the disk is enough last I knew :\

AnarkiThreeXSix · May 2005

:o teh fbi coming to steal your unmentionables!

Cold_NiTe · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (AnarkiThreeXSix @ May 26 2005, 04:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> :o teh fbi coming to steal your unmentionables!  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
My underpants!!! Where haev tehy gone?!?

FBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111

OttoDestruct · May 2005

The inevitable reply.

Nanites.

HellspawnUK · May 2005

I'll go read the PC magazine I got where someone wrote in asking how to do that. I'll post it later if I can find it.

Caboose · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (OttoDestruct @ May 26 2005, 03:43 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> The inevitable reply.

Nanites.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Damn you! I just finished reading the first page, and I was going to post that, then you **** it up for me! Gg ****!

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

(just kidding, I wub joo)

Fatal_Error · May 2005

Why don't you just throw it in a dumpster somewhere? The FBI won't find it.

reasa · May 2005

I think the best way to prevent the FBI from getting information out of your hard drive is to mail it to the CIA. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

SinSpawn · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (esuna @ May 26 2005, 07:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Venmoch @ May 26 2005, 06:10 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> See, if I was going to be some sort of super cyber-criminal (Not that I plan to be) I'd set up a large battery powered Electro-Magnet and strap it to the side of the computer. With a panic button with one of those flip-top switches. Like you'd see on a fighter jet or something. That way I can't hit it accidently.

As far as backup media, floppy disks rock! </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Reminds me of a movie, i think it was The Core, where he had his big magnet gun just incase of the FBI catching him. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Me too <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

TV teaches alot <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

docchimpy · May 2005

Magnet sounds like the win. Planning on using the harddrive afterwards?

SoulSkorpion · May 2005

Start at the beginning of the disk, write zeroes until you reach the end of the disk. Don't see why that wouldn't work. Other than the OS not letting you, of course.

Status_Quo · May 2005

If you don't have a magnet, you could also expose the hard drive to repeated shocks (such as dropping it from a reasonable height). It won't take very long for it to lose its magnetic properties and all you'll have then is a fancy-looking, shiny disc that you can use as a frisbee and... well, not much else. If you can expose it to a magnetic field with the right properties, you could even remagnetize and make the hard drive work again with no info whatsoever on it (though I wish you luck with that one).

SkulkBait · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (CommunistWithAGun @ May 26 2005, 03:56 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Nothing short of physically destroying the disk is enough last I knew :\ </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Pretty much. Never underestimate the resourcefulness of forensic computer guys. The only way to be truely safe is to either always have the information encrypted (that is, it never touches the disk in an unencrypted form), and it goes without saying that the encryption method must be strong, or physically destroy the drive (when you get it to the point that you can't tell the platter ashes from the casing ashes, then you have succeded).

[WHO]Them · May 2005

Technically you don't need to overwrite all the data multiple times. Really all you need to do is fill it with garbage, and if you're worried about those magnetic signatures (which would be a major pain in the **** to read anyways). Then let it sit with that garbage data for a while.

DOOManiac · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (reasa @ May 26 2005, 06:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I think the best way to prevent the FBI from getting information out of your hard drive is to mail it to the CIA. :p  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Aaaahahaha.

Haha.

Funny. And also a bit sad. heh.

funbags · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (DOOManiac @ May 27 2005, 12:13 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (reasa @ May 26 2005, 06:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I think the best way to prevent the FBI from getting information out of your hard drive is to mail it to the CIA. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Aaaahahaha.

Haha.

Funny. And also a bit sad. heh. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
I thought I was the only one that laughed my **** off. I told myself if I didn't see a ROFL or LMAO yet, I'd cry.

Quaunaut · May 2005

Let me ask this, as a legality. Its a hypothetical question based on something in the real world that is all-to-common, but I'd like to know if anyone would know the punishments for this happening through a computer.

Lets say you've got a girl and a boy. Their both under 18, and well away from it. Lets then say that the girl takes a video of her pleasuring herself, and sent it to her boyfriend. Could this be considered child pornography, and in that case, who would go to jail? The boy(even if under 18), or the boy's parents? The girl/her parents?

Whether you believe me or not, this is hypothetical. But over here there are a lot of girls taking videos of themselves doing this, and sending it to their boyfriends, but I've yet to hear of any of them being cought.

Mantrid · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cold NiTe @ May 26 2005, 01:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (AnarkiThreeXSix @ May 26 2005, 04:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> :o teh fbi coming to steal your unmentionables! </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
My underpants!!! Where haev tehy <b>= teh</b> gone?!?

FBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111 </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Grammar.

How To Permanently Delete Data Information?

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