RE: Secure Erase for PCs?

>Mark Rosen (mrosen@peganet.com) said something about Re: Secure Erase for PCs? 
on or about 12/9/96 6:19 PM

>> I know this has been discussed multiple times, but
>> archive searching has turned up nothing.
>> 
>> What freely available tools are there for securely
>> erasing a disk under DOS and Windows?
>> 
>> Ideally I'd like a tool for each, but pointers
>> to either are much appreciated.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>	Though, technically, no disk can be securely erased, my program,

Sure it can. Ten overwrites will rendered remnant data obscure. So says the 
electron microscope waving data recovery experts anyway.

> Very Good Privacy, can securely delete files after they have been encrypted.

Thought you said "no disk...". So how does VGP do it?

--j
-----------------------------------
| John Fricker (jfricker@vertexgroup.com)
| -random notes-
| My PGP public key is available by sending me mail with subject "send pgp key".
| www.Program.com is a good programmer web site.
-----------------------------------

At 8:05 PM -0800 12/9/96, John Fricker wrote:
>>	Though, technically, no disk can be securely erased, my program,
>
>Sure it can. Ten overwrites will rendered remnant data obscure. So says the
>electron microscope waving data recovery experts anyway.

You should really check out Peter Gutmann's paper in the 1996 Usenix
Security Conference Proceedings.  After reading it, I think you will come
to the conclusion that the only secure data destruction technique, against
a well-funded attacker, is destruction of the disk.  I like thermite myself.


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