[kwlug-disc] OT - degauss/wipe a dead hard drive/LTO tapes

[Lori Paniak]

On Mon, 2010-05-03 at 14:34 -0400, Richard Weait wrote:
> On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 2:20 PM, Shane <shane.msg at gmail.com> wrote:
> > The magnetic field has to be moved in close proximity.  The easiest way is to pass an alternating through it.  The other, of course, is moving the magnet physically which becomes more difficult as the size of the magnet increases and the space in which to move it decreases.  This assumes relatively easy access.
> 
> It is vanishingly unlikely that you can reliably degauss a modern disk
> platter with anything you have around the home or office.  You'll
> scratch the surface and make it harder to read but you are unlikely to
> flip bits.
> 
> Last time I looked, the only approved method to "safe" a hard drive
> after storing secret material included the phrase, "and stir the
> ashes".  I'm not kidding.
> 
> So it depends, as always, on
> who is the enemy,
> how well funded and motivated are they,
> how likely are you to get blamed,
> how much prison time will you earn, and
> where can you find a forge hot enough to melt the glass or ceramic platters.
> 
> Perhaps your industry has set different guidelines for your
> responsibility to the data.  So a wipe, and a drill bit or hammer may
> be enough.
> 
> Now, your backup tapes?  I don't know.  Crosscut shredder into a fondue pot?


All you have to do is shake a several Telsa  magnet over the platter
surface at several thousand shakes per second (sps). Have a couple of
coffees before you start.

Hmmm.... fondue.


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