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Disk Wipe

disk wipe

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#1 myhardrive

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Posted 11 April 2013 - 01:43 PM

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File Name: Disk Wipe
File Submitter: myhardrive
File Submitted: 11 Apr 2013
File Updated: 11 Apr 2013
File Category: App scripts

Winbuilder script add in to give your PE a Disk Wiping Utility.
Just create a folder called wipe in your utils folder and drop the script in.
It has a update button to reload the current version from the authors web site.


the edge

Click here to download this file

#2 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 11 April 2013 - 02:39 PM

Just for the record.

 

The script is for the program diskwipe that can be found here:

http://www.diskwipe.org/

 

Which seemingly does NOT wipe "disks" but only "drives" (intended as "whatever gets a drive letter in windows").

 

There is NO reason whatsoever to use anything but a single 00 pass.

There is NO reason whatsoever to do a format (quick or not) before wiping.

Since Vista :ph34r: the built-in FORMAT command (WITHOUT the /q switch) already zeroes each and every sector on the drive (and re-writes the new filesystem structures), thus representing a good-enough form of "privacy protection".

 

This tool will seemingly do the same, without re-writing the new filesystem structures after.

 

This:

 

http://www.diskwipe.org/

Ok, what about formatting? Unfortunately, formatting a disk drive can not help securing the permanent deletion either. Formatting a disk drive does not actually overwrite the data, and although it is way better than deleting the file from within Windows it is still very easy to retrieve data back from a formatted disk.

is thus incorrect (for Vista :ph34r: and later) while this:

 

 

In it's simplest form the new data written could be all zero's, but more advanced algorithms use a combination of filling up a disk with random information plus multiple passes to ensure impossibility of retrieval from a wiped disk.

Is a way to perpetuate the MYTH of the multiple passes :frusty: that represent only a way to spend more time and unneededly stress the device without increasing in any way the "safety" of the wipe.

 

The recommended way to wipe a disk (the WHOLE disk) which happens to also be the fastest one is to use the disk built-in (in hard disk drives) SAFE ERASE command.

 

For USB sticks and the like ideally one should use the appropriate Manufacturers Tool, this approach would be effective only for USB sticks that have not been partitioned (i.e. like they normally come from factory) but it may leave as well (like on hard disk) behind MBR+Hidden sectors+unpartitioned space on any partitioned media, in this case a tool like dd or dsfi seems more appropriate. (still the manufacturer's tool will manage also spare sectors and thus is way more secure).

 

More here:

http://reboot.pro/to...e-from-windows/

 

:cheers:

Wonko



#3 myhardrive

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Posted 11 April 2013 - 06:21 PM

This plugin was intended for Enterprise Class technicians :tabletalk:    who are required by procedures and laws (IE - in the US DOD drive wiping standards and in some parts of Europe - Ministry Defense Data) to include complex drive wiping methods.   Yes, the typical "Joe" with his Credit Card numbers, finance information and less than "sensitive data" on a drive could just use a vista or later format command.

 

 

the edge



#4 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 11 April 2013 - 07:10 PM

This plugin was intended for Enterprise Class technicians :tabletalk:    who are required by procedures and laws (IE - in the US DOD drive wiping standards and in some parts of Europe - Ministry Defense Data) to include complex drive wiping methods.   Yes, the typical "Joe" with his Credit Card numbers, finance information and less than "sensitive data" on a drive could just use a vista or later format command.
 
 
the edge
Yep :), but then the tool is of NO use :ph34r:.

It exceeds the needs of the "average Joe" and doesn't meet the actual security standards (again it won't completely wipe the "WHOLE disk" being "drive" based).

And in any case, IF it met some security standard then it would need to be certified (by NIST or whatever appropriate local agency).

JFYI, and for the record, the DOD standards were amended in 2001 and later in 2006 (and NSA in 2007 specified that ONLY physical destruction or degaussing is allowed for classified info) and the NIST 1 pass with Secure Erase was instated in 2006:
http://en.wikipedia....ki/Data_erasure


:cheers:
Wonko




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