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Questions tagged [data-remanence]

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90 votes
1 answer
20k views

Wiping an SSD with Parted Magic seemed too quick

I'm selling a computer with an SSD (it's a Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1). I wiped the drive using Parted Magic. I used the ATA method. I'm not sure what that is but it was the only setting available. It ...
user1102550's user avatar
  • 1,011
82 votes
10 answers
19k views

Would it be good secure programming practice to overwrite a "sensitive" variable before deleting it?

Is it good secure programming practice to overwrite sensitive data stored in a variable before it is deleted (or goes out of scope)? My thought is that it would prevent a hacker from being able to ...
Jonathan's user avatar
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46 votes
1 answer
54k views

Does WinRAR leave traces of temporarily extracted files?

If I have an encrypted RAR file which will only open using a password, and I opened a file directly from within WinRAR by double clicking the file inside WinRAR, I assume that WinRAR will create a ...
Nean Der Thal's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
8k views

Is Data Remanence a Myth? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Why is writing zeros (or random data) over a hard drive multiple times better than just doing it once? Multiple overwrites have often been discussed as a secure way of erasing ...
lynks's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
2k views

Ensure data doesn't linger after being deleted

I'm trying to make a service that keeps as little data on its users as possible. To that end, I want to make sure that someone using forensic tools won't gain any more information than I would by ...
Nick ODell's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
4k views

Should a secure ATA erase be performed on a non-SSD drive?

When running the command hdparm -I /dev/sda the following output is generated. ATA device, with non-removable media Model Number: WDC WD10JPVX-75JC3T0 Serial ...
Motivated's user avatar
  • 1,513
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the current EU standard for data destruction?

I have been hunting around for a couple of weeks trying to find what the current standards for sensitive data destruction in the EU/UK are. If you look at the destruction companies they have several ...
EnviableOne's user avatar
10 votes
8 answers
18k views

Overwriting hard drive to securely delete a file?

I am working on a computer that I am not allowed to install new software on. It does not have secure delete software installed. Suppose I have a file (or files) that are sensitive that I'd like to ...
Drew's user avatar
  • 117
9 votes
3 answers
7k views

How to erase as much as possible an SSD without ATA Secure Erase?

The question is almost completely answered. However, more details are still needed. See Update 2 down here. I've learnt that the ATA Secure Erase is uncorrectly implemented in SSDs (sources are down ...
X.LINK's user avatar
  • 141
8 votes
1 answer
3k views

Is GNU shred relevant for SSDs?

The Gutmann method, which apparently is used by GNU shred, has appeared in 1996, which focused on finding random 5 to 31 patterns and taking into account particular magnetic encoding. Considering ...
Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is data-remanence a concern in RAM?

I know data-remanence is a concern on hard drives, but is it a concern on RAM? For example, once a program completes, is its data still available on RAM, just as data on a hard drive remains after ...
Jonathan's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
262 views

What are the benefits of having multiple overwriting patterns for secure deletion? [duplicate]

When installing a new AIX server, there is a possibility to use several patterns for secure deletion. My question: Is it necessary to use several patterns? What is the benefit from having several ...
newuser999's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
336 views

Is there a way to guarantee removal of data after closing Facebook / Gmail / Dropbox account? [closed]

Of course my default way of thinking is: deleted: true while keeping all the data in place. In fact I would be interested in knowing what standard operating procedures are in place for retention of ...
Mars Robertson's user avatar
3 votes
5 answers
1k views

How to securely sanitize data tapes, and audit the results?

I work at an electronics recycling facility and we were just presented with an offer from a client that would like to buy our used data tapes. Our problem is that we have never sanitized data tapes as ...
Rolly Aponte's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
4k views

Can a full SSD or HDD recover deleted data?

I've always been curious. It may be a stupid question but what if you deleted a file then filled up the SSD or HDD. Could your deleted data be recovered or is it physically impossible? I know Windows ...
Lkvin's user avatar
  • 29
2 votes
2 answers
553 views

Wipe data from many storage devices

This software for wipe devices of storage: Active@Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser. Eraser. Shredit for Windows. Disk Wipe. Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN). I wonder if this software is able to use for ...
Dragon 's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
462 views

Are deleted offline calendar events in Android actually deleted?

When an Android app deletes a calendar event in a local (offline / non-synced) calendar, does Android's Calendar Storage (com.android.providers.calendar) actually delete the event or does it just flag ...
Amazon Dies In Darkness's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
198 views

Is corrupting the ciphertext corruption a good erasure?

Normally when you wipe a drive there are still ghost remains of the data even after overwriting the disk multiple times. So I was wondering if you could encrypt the drive and then overwrite the ...
WAR10CK's user avatar
  • 161
1 vote
1 answer
6k views

Does microwaving a CD erase it?

I just read the question: Does microwaving a hard drive erase it? and now I am curious too... does microwaving a CD (or for that matter, DVD, or blu-ray) erase it? My initial thought is that some ...
Jonathan's user avatar
  • 3,195
1 vote
0 answers
255 views

Is filling the internal storage of an Android device using `dd` sufficient for data removal?

I have a rooted phone I'm willing to sell, but I had Personally Identifiable Information (PII) on it and I am questioning whether filling the internal storage with null bytes using dd would be ...
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
323 views

Data remanence - DDR2

I read "Data Remanence in Semiconductor Devices" by Peter Gutmann, in which it is stated that it is possible to reconstruct the content of an erased SRAM based on changes of properties of ...
Hasbo's user avatar
  • 9
0 votes
2 answers
185 views

Shred, cut, melt, smash, grind, then flush, is it secure disposal of a security access id card?

I had a card like a credit card that I used to use for work. It was an ID card, and it had an access code, a swiper, a barcode, my picture, my name, my rank, my license, the name of the company, and ...
A google worker's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
208 views

Are there attacks to steal database records from memory in cloud?

Imagine a hosted database in public cloud. The database records are encrypted only on disk (data-at-rest). Are there are any attacks that steal the database records from the memory (when queries are ...
sashank's user avatar
  • 511