From: "J.E. Davidow" <jed@home.interaccess.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 95 12:52:30 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: PC disk wipe software
Message-ID: <199510091947.OAA23150@thymaster.interaccess.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On  9 Oct 95 at 13:59, dmandl@panix.com wrote regarding Re: PC disk 
wipe software:

> On Mon, 9 Oct 1995, Perry E. Metzger wrote:
> 
> > I thought I'd ask here, since its related to a lot of the stuff
> > people have written for the PC platform in these parts. I need to
> > securely wipe a bunch of data from an MS-DOS hard drive, so that
> > it can't be recovered. Are there any readily available utilities
> > for this? Will any of them selectively erase only data that isn't
> > allocated to existing files?
> > 
> > Perry

There are several file, directory and/or disk erasing utilities on 
the web and commercial area today. 

Shred is located on WEB in some of the Simtel Libraries. It will not 
only delete the file from the directory, but it writes zeros over the 
data itself, including all of the fragments left at the end of the 
file's cluster. It also will write over the free space left on the 
disk as well. It performs this operation only once per execution.

Another "wipe" software is "Real Deal.zip".  It's virtue is that is 
writes a series of patterns to the disk depending upon the level of 
security you request. It can remain memory resident, intercepting all 
DOS delete requests and write over at least 5 times with different 
patterns the data your deleting. Watch how much longer a delete takes 
if your at the" Real Dewd" level. There are a couple of utilities from 
Norton, etc. that will perform a higher level of wiping. Including 
the entire disk, directories, etc. The will write several more times 
that either RealDeal.zip (Real Delete) or Shred. 

The last time I saw, the government 'standard' for "wiping" its own sensitive data was at least fifteen times  with different patterns. How secure your erased disk will stand up to a concerted effort by law 
enforcement, NSA or someone truly looking for what's on your disk 
remains questionable at best. But to the average person both Shred or RealDeal is 
good enough to keep your wife's attorney, your roommate, co-worker or your girl friend out of 
your personal communique's.

Remember too,  that word processors and other software write all over you 
disk and that its' probable that fragments of data that you wish to 
delete are attached to or in other files. 

J.E. Davidow
jed@interaccess.com
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