Gallery: How to destroy your hard drive
by Andy Smith | July 21, 2008 12:32pm PDT | Image 1 of 6
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Verity manual hard drive destroyer
Disposing of computer hard drives in a secure and safe way has become a hot topic, especially after the high profile data leaks in the past year.
Whether it is ID thieves after personal information; or data leaks that could affect business or even national security, making sure data can't be retrieved from old hard drives is very much on the agenda.
So bearing this in mind, silicon.com picked some ways to deal with your unwanted hard drives.
This is the Verity Systems VS7000 manual hard drive destroyer which crushes the hard drive with the turn of a handle. The destroyer bends the hard drive platter so any data on it can never be read again.
Plus, check out these 10 hard drive disasters.
Photo credit: Verity
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cheaper to just take a hammer to it
Why not a hammer? My guess is the potential for pieces flying up and causing injury is the reason. If you needed to destroy 500 hard drives, you might appreciate a higher-tech solution than a hammer.
I wonder, would a large electro-magnet like those used to move huge amounts of scrap iron work as well????
On another note, I think a .357 slug through the platters or spindle bearing may also work. If that is not enough, then a .44 or, if you are so lucky, a slug from a Desert Eagle .50 should do the trick.
On another note, I think a .357 slug through the platters or spindle bearing may also work. If that is not enough, then a .44 or, if you are so lucky, a slug from a Desert Eagle .50 should do the trick.
...A slug's a bit messy, and there's always the chance of a ricochet which might bite.
A steamroller gives much better satisfaction and the munching sounds like rice bubbles' snap, crackle and pop.
A steamroller gives much better satisfaction and the munching sounds like rice bubbles' snap, crackle and pop.
"Military and security service personnel wanting to avoid information getting into the wrong hands are able to make their hard drives explode. This can be triggered either remotely or by people tampering with the device." Seriously? I have been doin this military thing for 13 years and we do not have exploding hard drives. They would be awesome but sadly no. We DO have Thermite grenades that burn up to 2500 degrees C. We are trained to use these on sensitive equipment in emergency situations, like computers or safes.
Just destroying the mechanism renders the drive from being read in its original form. But the data can still linger on any undamaged platter surface. Your average ID thief or corporate spy doesn't have the tools to deal with this, but governments and large corporations do. Using well-equipped labs with tools like atomic force microscopes, they can recover data directly from the platter. When I worked for a government contractor, they had three approved methods for disposing of hard drives with "secured" data: abrasion, acid, and heating. In all of them, the drive was disassembled, and the platters were either sandblasted, dipped in acid baths, or heated with blowtorches. One of my fellow workers spent two months taking apart old 20GB drives, and laboriously toasting each side of a platter with a butane torch, all under the watchful eyes of armed security guards.
My colleagues were working on a top secret software
project and a drive failed (a 20MB one -- yes MB, circa
1986). Apple said it was under warranty and would swap it
via a local store. We didn't trust that the data could not be
recovered, so the drive was thrown about, punctured and
otherwise abused until we were sure the data could not be
recovered, although it still didn't look too bad physically.
We arrived at the store and explained the situation. The
guy behind the counter says "hold on one minute" and
goes to the back room. He returns with a ground strap
around his wrist and says "OK, now I can handle it." We
found it hard to keep from laughing. He had no clue what
was going on, but he did give us the replacement drive.
project and a drive failed (a 20MB one -- yes MB, circa
1986). Apple said it was under warranty and would swap it
via a local store. We didn't trust that the data could not be
recovered, so the drive was thrown about, punctured and
otherwise abused until we were sure the data could not be
recovered, although it still didn't look too bad physically.
We arrived at the store and explained the situation. The
guy behind the counter says "hold on one minute" and
goes to the back room. He returns with a ground strap
around his wrist and says "OK, now I can handle it." We
found it hard to keep from laughing. He had no clue what
was going on, but he did give us the replacement drive.
I pry them open scratch it with an awl and sandpaper. Bend it in half and fell pretty confident it's gone.
What about a plain old ordinary arc welder burning a hole or two through the case, circuit board and platters? I figure between the high temperatures, the metal particle splattering all over and the high currents working on the magnetics, one or two holes through and through should pretty well wipe out anything.
Turn up the amps, use a thin rod and you have what amounts to an electric cutting tool.
Safer, and more available than thermite.
Oxy-acetylene torch works too.
Don't think a plumbing torch will get hot enough though.
Safer, and more available than thermite.
Oxy-acetylene torch works too.
Don't think a plumbing torch will get hot enough though.
Experts have recovered data from HD's that have been in saltwater, for two years. They can recover data from HD's which have been in fires.
The safest way, is to grind it into a fine powder.
The safest way, is to grind it into a fine powder.
I Use my Old Allis WD Tractor does a wonderful job and the neighbors say WFRO
having been a auto mechanic before changing over to computer repairs and semi retirement, i simply fire up the good old mechanics red and green wrenches and procced to give it some over heating problems, more like melt the platter.
how do the milatary solve this problem
There are many ways one can destroy hard drives. The problem that the military has is in an emergency situation when electricity has been cut off and time is of the essence. They are resorting to the Manusl Hard Drive destroyers--why? No electricity needed--minimal of effort.
For more information email me at Bowindustries@aol.com
For more information email me at Bowindustries@aol.com
how do the military solve this problem
Guardian Data Destruction is the only way to go.
They come to your location and punch/pin the drive then
shred it into small pieces.
They come to your location and punch/pin the drive then
shred it into small pieces.
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