On 1/25/14, 7:17 PM, jon_banquer wrote:
Here is why you're a ****ing moron if you think smashing your hard drive is a good answer to protecting your data from someone determined enough to read it.

You're also a ****ing moron if you believe iggy is some kind a computer expert.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...drive-14877558

"Yes, physically destroying a hard drive renders your device and the data on it unusable. But with enough motivation and the right equipment—and the F.B.I. has both—some of your data can be recovered. Dan Kaminsky, chief scientist of security firm DKH, says 100 percent physical data destruction is nearly impossible. The only method that comes close is overwriting the disk.



Haven't really been following this thread... but hard drives can be made
100% unreadable.

Some use Aluminum platters, and other glass... just disassemble, remove,
and melt down the platters. I'm sure it could be done without
disassembly, but would be a smoky, loathsome & messy chore.

Yes, determined enough is a huge factor. And yes it takes immense
amounts of motivation, time, equipment and money to recover info from a
merely busted up drive... and any data recovered will not approach 100%.
However, probably not much of a concern unless your someone the
government or law enforcement is after.

Personally, I just clamp drives in the vise, beat[1] with a hand sledge
and mangle with the enormous channel-locks, being sure few if any
portions of the platters remain flat... and in the trash they go. CDR's
& DVD's get cut into several pieces with tin snips... documents I worry
a little more about. I shred and hold till I'm around & hear the trash
truck, then spread them around loose in the can... so no one will have a
tidy bag containing all the pieces. Yes, they could be picked out of the
truck, but loose & scattered makes the process a huge undertaking.

(Incidentally, I once caught a competitor going through my trash...)

Erik

[1] Wear a face shield!