Silk Road forums
Discussion => Security => Topic started by: i push the kush on June 21, 2013, 12:06 am
-
I am currently operating TOR from my desktop computer, I want to start operating from a USB and have a clean house (no scales, drugs, or parphanelia) so I can get deliveries without a worry. All I have to do is get a new HDD for my computer right? Or is there a way I can completely wipe it? I don't care about losing everything on it cuz I dont have anything important on it. Thanks
Regards,
i push the kush
-
Check if your hard drive has ATA Secure Erase. That's the best option. If it doesn't, download, burn, and run DBAN: http://dban.org
It will write random data over your whole hard drive twice, than one write of zeroes to make it look like it wasn't securely erased.
-
Check if your hard drive has ATA Secure Erase. That's the best option. If it doesn't, download, burn, and run DBAN: http://dban.org
It will write random data over your whole hard drive twice, than one write of zeroes to make it look like it wasn't securely erased.
Thank you! I just googled ATA erase on clear-net and there is a wiki tutorial using command prompt on how to do it. I will probably do that! I assume this will erase my operating system as well?
-
sub for info
-
sub for info
'
-
Thank you! I just googled ATA erase on clear-net and there is a wiki tutorial using command prompt on how to do it. I will probably do that! I assume this will erase my operating system as well?
Yes, everything will be gone.
-
I use the program 'Eraser'. You can choose overwriting up to 32 times, which is even higher than military standards.
It's also useful for erasing free disk space. When you delete something of you system, it's not really gone. The disk space is just set to 'free'. Next time you save something, it will be overwritten. And then it still can be read by forensic analysts. Real security starts at 3 times overwriting.
Why don't you consider to encrypt your whole hard drive? It takes a few hours and after that nobody can read it without the pass.
I'm a little paranoid and use a 31 character pass, but anything complex over 6 chars will work.
-
I use the program 'Eraser'. You can choose overwriting up to 32 times, which is even higher than military standards.
DBAN also has a similar feature, its called Gutmann and its 35 passes, its pretty OTT really and can actually damage the hard disk beyond use. I think 7 passes is more than sufficient especially if you plan on re-using the hard drive .
-
I use the program 'Eraser'. You can choose overwriting up to 32 times, which is even higher than military standards.
It's also useful for erasing free disk space. When you delete something of you system, it's not really gone. The disk space is just set to 'free'. Next time you save something, it will be overwritten. And then it still can be read by forensic analysts. Real security starts at 3 times overwriting.
Why don't you consider to encrypt your whole hard drive? It takes a few hours and after that nobody can read it without the pass.
I'm a little paranoid and use a 31 character pass, but anything complex over 6 chars will work.
Overwriting a hard drive more than 3 times is overkill and doing it more than once is just being paranoid.
If you overwrite all the data once with random data, nobody will be able to piece anything back together.
Let's be reasonable here, your local police department isn't going to use an electron microscope on your confiscated hard drive.
That 32 times standard is from back when the size of hard drives was still measured in megabytes.
Also I'd say as far as password strength goes, anything over 6 is definitely lowballing it.
Relevant xkcd: :P
https://xkcd.com/936/
Who's to say it's the local police department you'll be dealing with?
-
I use the program 'Eraser'. You can choose overwriting up to 32 times, which is even higher than military standards.
It's also useful for erasing free disk space. When you delete something of you system, it's not really gone. The disk space is just set to 'free'. Next time you save something, it will be overwritten. And then it still can be read by forensic analysts. Real security starts at 3 times overwriting.
Why don't you consider to encrypt your whole hard drive? It takes a few hours and after that nobody can read it without the pass.
I'm a little paranoid and use a 31 character pass, but anything complex over 6 chars will work.
Ahh I have not heard of this, please send me a link or a tutorial on how to properly encrypt a hard drive and I will do that! I am pretty computer savvy, I mean, I built this computer I'm on right now 8)
-
Also here :)
http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=99520.msg699299#msg699299
-
Duffman's link for encryption says it all. Remember you'll need a writable CD to backup the encryption header (True Crypt will ask for one). Another option is to mount the iso on a virtual drive and trick TP out, but don't forget to save it somewhere else since the backup won't be of use if it's on the defect HD :P
-
Completely zeroing out your computer is actually nearly impossible. You can run software a few times that claims to 0 out everything, but the fact that you have to do it a few times means that it isn't always 100%.
The best way to do it, and keep the HDD is an expensive piece of equipment called a degausser.
If you aren't worried about losing everything, just buy a new HD.
-
Been reading this thread and have to agree with DBAN for wiping the HDD, go ahead and do the Guttman wipe (35 passes), someone said 3 passes is all you need but seriously why risk it?
Also agree with using the program "Eraser" in windows for securely deleting files, it's the best tool of its kind that I know of.
Going USB, I use Liberte bootable USB stick which, like someone said, you can also secure with TrueCrypt. Safety first.
-
Been reading this thread and have to agree with DBAN for wiping the HDD, go ahead and do the Guttman wipe (35 passes), someone said 3 passes is all you need but seriously why risk it?
Also agree with using the program "Eraser" in windows for securely deleting files, it's the best tool of its kind that I know of.
Going USB, I use Liberte bootable USB stick which, like someone said, you can also secure with TrueCrypt. Safety first.
Agreed. Booting a good linux distro from USB makes a lot of sense. I haven't tested it personally, but I'm guessing when you boot to linux via USB it keeps any potential cache files etc on that USB. Flash memory is very easy to destroy if need be.
-
Been reading this thread and have to agree with DBAN for wiping the HDD, go ahead and do the Guttman wipe (35 passes), someone said 3 passes is all you need but seriously why risk it?
Also agree with using the program "Eraser" in windows for securely deleting files, it's the best tool of its kind that I know of.
Going USB, I use Liberte bootable USB stick which, like someone said, you can also secure with TrueCrypt. Safety first.
Agreed. Booting a good linux distro from USB makes a lot of sense. I haven't tested it personally, but I'm guessing when you boot to linux via USB it keeps any potential cache files etc on that USB. Flash memory is very easy to destroy if need be.
Just use a distro like tails which doesn't leave any traces behind unless you use a persistent volume in which case it's fully encrypted.
Also I prefer a µSD card used in conjunction with a µSD to USB adapter as they're even easier to hide or destroy if needed. ;D
Haha, even better until I lose it from myself when it's not in the adapter. :( Stupid drugs.
-
Completely zeroing out your computer is actually nearly impossible. You can run software a few times that claims to 0 out everything, but the fact that you have to do it a few times means that it isn't always 100%.
The best way to do it, and keep the HDD is an expensive piece of equipment called a degausser.
If you aren't worried about losing everything, just buy a new HD.
You don't *have* to do it a few times though.
-
So if I use Truecrypt to encrypt my HDD, no one will be able to access it unless they know the password, right? Because my plan is to encrypt my HDD just in case the Feds were to ever kick in my door and when they confiscate my computer they will have no way of getting any information off my HDD, correct? I mean of course we don't know what type of techniques/software the federal government has, but I don't think they will be able to access any information.