Security Basics: RE: Hard Drive data security

["David Gillett" <gillettdavid () fhda edu>]

> Why do they want your bad hard drive anyway?
  Most security threats are, if not completely internal, dependent
on an insider for some component of the attack.
  Even companies that don't understand computer security often have
some clue about securing other parts of their business against various
risks.

  In this case, there's a risk that an unscrupulous insider could
derive benefit or profit by "leaking" spare drives, covering their
tracks by recording them as "customer replacements".  Collecting the
replaced drive allows this aspect of the support operation to be audited
easily, and minimizes the opportunity for such misappropriation.
  Obviously, though, there's no need for them to be able to read any 
data on such drives.

David Gillett


> -----Original Message-----
> From: tony tony [mailto:tonytorri () yahoo com]
> Sent: Monday, October 11, 2004 3:43 PM
> To: Jonathan Loh; Paul Kurczaba; security-basics () securityfocus com
> Subject: Re: Hard Drive data security
>
>
> Paul, 
>
> Try the non-techie approach....after they verify that your 
> hard drive is
> bad...then take a hammer to the disk...pound on it a few 
> dozen times...then
> give it to them. 
>
> Why do they want your bad hard drive anyway?
>
>
>
> --- Jonathan Loh <kj6loh () yahoo com> wrote:
>
> > Use eraser, or norton wipe, or some other tool to erase the 
> whole thing. 
> > Eraser is a free utility.  But note this only works if the 
> company uses just
> > another computer to try to recover your data.  If they use scanning
> > microscopy
> > well then......  but that's expensive.
> > That's if you can access the drive.  If you can't powerful 
> magnets work
> > really
> > well.   Just make sure the harddrive is out of the computer 
> when you do that.
> > --- Paul Kurczaba <paul () myipis com> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > >    I have a question about hard drive data security. The 
> hard drive on my
> > > notebook is failing and Dell is going to replace it. They 
> are going to take
> > > the old one with them. How can I securely remove the data 
> from the hard
> > > drive?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Paul
> >
> >
> >             
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>
> =====
> Tony T. CISSP, CISA, CDP, CIA
> Senior IS Security & Risk Manager
> 360.906.7893 (Work)
> Northern Telecom LLP
>
>
>