[SPAM] [Hidden-tech] Recycling dead computers?

[Robert Heller]

At Fri, 23 May 2008 10:57:03 -0400 Chris Hoogendyk <hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu> wrote:

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> 
> Chris Woods wrote:
> > One thing to keep in mind when recycling your old computer (or selling
> > it or giving it away): remove the hard disk. Re-formatting is
> > insufficient to protect your personal data (doubly true of Windows).
> > Take the hard disk out and physically destroy it (a hammer, safety
> > goggles, and a hard surface work well for this).
> >
> > See this study by Simson Garfinkel at MIT for more info:
> > http://tinyurl.com/2d8ysp
> 
> 
> Or, check out the links here:
> 
> http://www.nsa.gov/snac/downloads_macOSX10_4Server.cfm?MenuID=scg10.3.1.1
> 
> While those are good links in general for system security, the point in 
> question here is the secure erasure of data. In MacOSX there is actually 
> a command line utility for securely erasing data. It will do up to 35 
> overwrites of the data with successive passes of 0's, 1's and random 

There is a Linux utility that does the same.  I *suspect* that many
Linux 'live cds' include this utility, so a Linux live cd should have
what you need to securely erase the disk.

> data. This meets the U.S. Department of Defense standard for the
> sanitation fro magnetic media. So, no harm hammering the drive if you 
> are going to recycle the computer for raw materials; but, if you are 
> going to donate it, then you can do a secure erasure of private data.
> 
> Deeper down in the article linked to by Chris Woods is a statement that 
> on modern drives a couple of overwrites should be sufficient. The point 
> is that you can't just delete the data, because on most operating 
> systems that just unlinks the data blocks and puts them in free space. I 
> actually had an experience around 1992 where a software company I worked 
> for had some people come in to demo a product they were developing. We 
> had top of the line equipment, so they were encouraged to copy their 
> code into our computer and demo it there. They carefully "removed" all 
> their code and data after the demo. As soon as they left, several 
> programmers descended on the computer and went about scouring the blocks 
> of free space and reassembling their code. Needless to say, they were 
> never called back to arrange any sort of business deal. (As I pass that 
> story along, I want to say that the company was not Specular. A number 
> of people will be aware that I worked for for Specular for several 
> years. They were one of the most ethical companies I ever worked for. 
> I'm sure they would not have done that sort of thing. Nor would they 
> have needed to. Their programmers could spin magic out of thin air.)
> 
> 
> 
> ---------------
> 
> Chris Hoogendyk
> 
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> <hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>
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