Posted: 5/11/2009 8:52:19 AM EDT
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Can anyone tell me how to create shortcut that would nuke my computer (HDD Format, Partition, etc.) for a SHTF moment? I don't want to destroy the computer, just the data on it, and I want to do it with 1 click (and maybe a couple "Are your sure? type of questions). Thanks.
Mike F |
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Other than thermite on the HDDs, there is no quick 100% data wipe.
Even powerful electro-magnets may leave recoverable data...with the right equipment. SO if the NSA wants your porn, most likely they will get it. With time, 7+ low level reformats will make it VERY hard to recover any useful data. |
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Quoted:
As far as I know, it isn't possible to thoroughly destroy the data without destroying the drive platters themselves. There are a few over-write programs that are purported to be NSA-quality, as far as scrubbing info so that it isn't recoverable. But those are definitely not quick in performance. Platter destruction is the only 100% positive method that can be done quickly. |
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Quoted:
As far as I know, it isn't possible to thoroughly destroy the data without destroying the drive platters themselves. pretty much this... had a friend rig up 10 EE model rockets to a kill switch on the front of his case. Had the rockets mounted with the blast tword the HDD. |
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likely well, but whatever charges you get out of for his kiddie porn stash, he gains back for building an AOW. |
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Something like DiskCryptor would be better. http://sourceforge.net/projects/diskcryptor/
The hard drive data is always encrypted and all you have to do is shut off the machine. The data on the disk is always encrypted, and the decryptor resides in memory between the drive and the operating system as a translator. Anyone trying to read the disk without the keyphrase you put in at bootup will get nothing. For all intents and purposes, the drive is a brick. In theory at least, the amount of computing power to decrypt the drive with an AES256 cipher and a really good strong keyphrase is still several thousand years with even the best supercomputers. And unless you're public enemy #1, and several lives are at risk based on the data you might have on your HDD, no one will expend the effort. A judge will simply throw you in jail on contempt of court for not turning over the passphrase. Or, you could just run something like a SATA dock, http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/thumb-drives-storage/a7ea/ and just yank the drive and take it with you when SHTF. Truly paranoid? Do both. |
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Quoted: likely well, but whatever charges you get out of for his kiddie porn stash, he gains back for building an AOW. Well, I meant out of a standard 12ga. |
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One way I know:
There are wiping utilities that will overwrite a file before deleting it. Eraser is one that is free. Because the file os first over-written with junk data, even if it is un-deleted it still can't be recovered. To use this option, keep ALL your personal/sensitive files in a folder on your desktop. When you install Eraser, it installs an 'erase' option into your right-click menu. Anything you want gone, just right-click and select "erase", and it will be overwritten according to the settings you use (in Eraser) and then deleted. –––––––– In practice, that is not enough to even begin securely wiping a computer. There are things like browser caches, email files, and regular cache files that other programs make and use while you're using those programs. Finally there is the swap file itself, which the OS controls and no other program can overwrite while the OS is running. To wipe the entire computer hard drive you can use a "nuke disk", such as this one. You put the floppy in, reboot the PC and hit the proper button and it will overwrite the entire hard drive. Overwriting a typical hard drive takes a LOT of time. For best results with this option, you should initially set up the computer by partitioning the hard drive down to a partition of only 5 or 6 gigs, and leave the rest of the hard drive un-partitioned, so you know you won't ever accidentally use it. WinXP and Vista both take about 3 gigs normally, leaving 2-3 gigs for all your programs and personal files. ~ |
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Dammit I was going to say 00 Buck to the HDD will cure the problem, lol.... 
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How about an Thompson Center Encore pistol chambered in .223, and loaded with M855, standing by at every PC in your house?
ETA: Just as I posted this I remembered a place I have used for 4th of July goodies.... So how about some "pocket Thermite"? http://www.dbcpyrotechnics.com/servlet/the-949/Thermite-Fire-Starter––dsh-/Detail |
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Single holes through the platter are not effective, only those sectors will be bad, the entire rest of the drive can be ready. Quoted:
You havent been keeping up with data storage theory in the last several years. A harddrive doesnt store data as exact 1s and 0s, but rather very close fractions, such as 0.999234 and 0.0012314. Certain groups (No Such Agency One way I know: There are wiping utilities that will overwrite a file before deleting it. Eraser is one that is free. Because the file os first over-written with junk data, even if it is un-deleted it still can't be recovered. To use this option, keep ALL your personal/sensitive files in a folder on your desktop. When you install Eraser, it installs an 'erase' option into your right-click menu. Anything you want gone, just right-click and select "erase", and it will be overwritten according to the settings you use (in Eraser) and then deleted. –––––––– In practice, that is not enough to even begin securely wiping a computer. There are things like browser caches, email files, and regular cache files that other programs make and use while you're using those programs. Finally there is the swap file itself, which the OS controls and no other program can overwrite while the OS is running. To wipe the entire computer hard drive you can use a "nuke disk", such as this one. You put the floppy in, reboot the PC and hit the proper button and it will overwrite the entire hard drive. Overwriting a typical hard drive takes a LOT of time. For best results with this option, you should initially set up the computer by partitioning the hard drive down to a partition of only 5 or 6 gigs, and leave the rest of the hard drive un-partitioned, so you know you won't ever accidentally use it. WinXP and Vista both take about 3 gigs normally, leaving 2-3 gigs for all your programs and personal files. ~  ) have figured out how to read the past data stored on the drive by interpretting those fractional amounts, IIRC they publically disclosed they can determine at least the last twenty settings that particular bit had.
Destroy with thermite or sand-blast each platter, its the only way to be sure. Kharn |
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Nah, no kiddie porn here. I am just playing a "what if" situation with my work computer. If I were to get canned, what could I do to just wipe the computer clean. I've heard stories of people getting told that they are getting let go, and to clean out their office right then. I was just looking for a way to erase everything (documents, photos, contacts, reports, etc.). They would not go through the trouble of trying to recover data. If they did want it badly enough, why just hand it to them, right?
In today's economy, not too many people are safe. Mike F |
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DBAN is great, I've used it before to do DoD wipes. However, a DoD wipe takes several hours to complete. If you want something to destroy your data instantly, I'd recommend a couple of 12ga slugs at the hard drive. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
As far as I know, it isn't possible to thoroughly destroy the data without destroying the drive platters themselves. There are a few over-write programs that are purported to be NSA-quality, as far as scrubbing info so that it isn't recoverable. But those are definitely not quick in performance. Platter destruction is the only 100% positive method that can be done quickly. I was gonna give you an answer, but I was just gonna say this. Oh, and if you really need SHTF data destruction capability (as in you're in security, operating an office in Zanzibar, and need to get rid of sensitive data should your office get stormed), you can try this, but it ain't cheap. |
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Don't do anything on your work computer you would not want people to see. It is their computer and you use it as part of your employment. Why on earth would you wipe your computer clean if you were terminated? When you are told "clean out your office" you just gather up your personal belongings and try to depart with some dignity.
Nah, no kiddie porn here. I am just playing a "what if" situation with my work computer. If I were to get canned, what could I do to just wipe the computer clean. I've heard stories of people getting told that they are getting let go, and to clean out their office right then. I was just looking for a way to erase everything (documents, photos, contacts, reports, etc.). They would not go through the trouble of trying to recover data. If they did want it badly enough, why just hand it to them, right? In today's economy, not too many people are safe. Mike F |
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Quoted: Nah, no kiddie porn here. I am just playing a "what if" situation with my work computer. If I were to get canned, what could I do to just wipe the computer clean. I've heard stories of people getting told that they are getting let go, and to clean out their office right then. I was just looking for a way to erase everything (documents, photos, contacts, reports, etc.). They would not go through the trouble of trying to recover data. If they did want it badly enough, why just hand it to them, right? In today's economy, not too many people are safe. Mike F If you're let go, would they let you even touch the computer while you're cleaning out your personal belongings? Another "what if" would be the computer being removed from your area while you're being "called to the office." No chance, then. Keep a screw driver and a 32 ounce ball peen hammer at the ready.  |
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Doing it correctly were they cant pull the data takes too long.. the only way to do it like in the movies is to destroy the hard drives. Other wise you are depending on how fast the drive it self cna read and write.
This is what I use. It is DOD compliant. 40 gigs took me an hour and a half doing it to DOD standards. http://www.killdisk.com/ |
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Or.. Boot Nuke....
boot nuke Leave a floppy in the drive. Next time it goes to reboot its history. or.. thermite... |
| As previously mentioned you are better off running an entirely encrypted hard drive from the get-go. There is no way you can wipe the disk from a shortcut since you are still inside the running OS that's being erased. You need to boot from another media with a hard disk wiper which as mentioned takes several hours to complete. |
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Quoted:
As previously mentioned you are better off running an entirely encrypted hard drive from the get-go. There is no way you can wipe the disk from a shortcut since you are still inside the running OS that's being erased. You need to boot from another media with a hard disk wiper which as mentioned takes several hours to complete. Or do it the ARFCOM way and use armor peircing incindiary 50 BMG... OH YEA.. theres video... 50 BMG vs 18 hard drives |
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Any kind of boot-n-nuke or disk wipe utility takes time and it takes you to be there to kick it off. If you want to secure your data at rest use Truecrypt with multiple containers.
If you just want to sterilize a disk before you sell the system or something any of the disk wipe utilities will work. |
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One thing about encryption; you can be compelled to provide the password and held indefinately in contempt of court if you don't. If you have stuff you don't want people to find, put it in a hidden encryted volume. You can't be compelled to provide a password to a volume that can't be proven to exist.
ETA: Thermite, Aqua Regia or white phosphorus would be more fun anyway. |
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Quoted:
Nah, no kiddie porn here. I am just playing a "what if" situation with my work computer. If I were to get canned, what could I do to just wipe the computer clean. I've heard stories of people getting told that they are getting let go, and to clean out their office right then. I was just looking for a way to erase everything (documents, photos, contacts, reports, etc.). They would not go through the trouble of trying to recover data. If they did want it badly enough, why just hand it to them, right? In today's economy, not too many people are safe. Mike F Aren't they doing network backups? Or network storage? I'm kinda assuming you're a techie; if you're some middle-management type with a bunch of spreadsheets on your c: drive, maybe not, but everywhere I worked they had code repositories that everything got stored in. |
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You havent been keeping up with data storage theory in the last several years. A harddrive doesnt store data as exact 1s and 0s, but rather very close fractions, such as 0.999234 and 0.0012314. Certain groups (No Such Agency ) have figured out how to read the past data stored on the drive by interpretting those fractional amounts, IIRC they publically disclosed they can determine at least the last twenty settings that particular bit had.Destroy with thermite or sand-blast each platter, its the only way to be sure. Kharn Excuse me...WHAT? |
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Encrypt the entire drive contents (as the other poster said).
Then, assuming you have time use DBAN on a CD (bootable Linux with wipe software on it) and run it to wipe the drive. Though, your "hypothetical scenario" would take you from "getting fired" to "criminal destruction of property AND fired". Don't put stuff your company IT folks shouldn't see on your computer at work. PERIOD. The moment you get fired is too late for that anyway. As an IT guy I have come in late at night to clone hard drives, just copied it off the network, or simply looked because I can and I am bored, LOONGG before you really know you are fired. So don't put stuff you don't want them to see on there in the first place. And leave it intact if you get fired. They may even come back for more info, in which case you can charge them $300 an hour as an outside consultant to "help". |
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truecrypt your HDD. http://www.truecrypt.org/ then in the event you need to destroy all your data run DBAN a few dozen times. http://www.dban.org/ |
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Just make a Clonezilla disk that has a 'blank' partition image on it. Then when the time comes, you write the blank image to your HDD, killing the partition, MBR, etc. It would take moments, since pretty much nothing is being written.
But +1 to what the others are saying about running TrueCrypt or BitLocker or some other volume-level encryption if you are really that paranoid. With BitLocker (and presumably others), you can even create a USB 'boot key', without which the system ain't booting. |
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1) I would not be looking to wipe the drive to hide anything. I would be wiping the drive to be a vindictive asshole. I am in product development, and a lot of the stuff related to new development resides only on my computer.
2) I can not encrypt my hard drive as that is a big no no with the company. 3) This is a laptop and there is no network backup being done. Again, this is all just hypothetical. I have been good to our company, and I would assume that they would not just walk me out the door if my position was eliminated. In that case, I would delete just my personal stuff, and leave everything else for the next guy. But, if they were assholes, DBAN or FDisk it is. Thanks for all of the ideas. MIke F |
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Dammit I was going to say 00 Buck to the HDD will cure the problem, lol.... Nope-buck is too wimpy from what I've seen. HD platters are HARD. I've skipped shotgun slugs off of them when informally shooting up broke-ass computers. That was partially due to angle,but they really are hard to penetrate with low velocity ammo. Only a good perpendicular impact with a rifle seems to work well. The best thing I've ever found to destroying hard drives permanently and quickly is a maxed out AC stick welder at 180A using a 6011 rod. Arc it and push it straight through the drive casing,platter and all. Steel,aluminum and everything else puddles into a big carbon burned,slaggy, inclusion filled mess. This is how I punish drives when they lose my data.
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You can be sued for destroying your employer's property (erasing your work product) IIRC. Enjoy paying back your salary plus damages. 1) I would not be looking to wipe the drive to hide anything. I would be wiping the drive to be a vindictive asshole. I am in product development, and a lot of the stuff related to new development resides only on my computer. 
Kharn |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
You can be sued for destroying your employer's property (erasing your work product) IIRC. Enjoy paying back your salary plus damages. 1) I would not be looking to wipe the drive to hide anything. I would be wiping the drive to be a vindictive asshole. I am in product development, and a lot of the stuff related to new development resides only on my computer.
Kharn I think it was Kevin Mitnick who was charged an exorbitant amout for the materials that he stole from the phone companies. How exactly do you think your company would assess a value to what's on your computer and how will you refute it? What's the gain? |