Comments on: A full Gutmann http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:41:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Federico Lucifredi (F2) http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6842 Federico Lucifredi (F2) Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:18:02 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6842 That's funny, I was working on this stuff last year, too! I even gave a talk at the local Linux and Perl UGs on this. If you go beyond the BIOS lock, you run into the next fun bit of the problem: a lot of hard disks do not implement this ATA extension -- so far, I found only a Hitachi Deskstar which does, and I tried 4 vendors and ~7 models. Bummah, as they say in Boston! That’s funny, I was working on this stuff last year, too! I even gave a talk at the local Linux and Perl UGs on this.

If you go beyond the BIOS lock, you run into the next fun bit of the problem: a lot of hard disks do not implement this ATA extension — so far, I found only a Hitachi Deskstar which does, and I tried 4 vendors and ~7 models. Bummah, as they say in Boston!

]]> By: Pádraig Brady http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6781 Pádraig Brady Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:56:32 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6781 GNU shred since v7.3 doesn't use /dev/urandom for speed http://url.ie/6jt6. Also since 7.1 the default number of passes was reduced from 25 to 3 http://url.ie/6jt7 GNU shred since v7.3 doesn’t use /dev/urandom for speed http://url.ie/6jt6.
Also since 7.1 the default number of passes was reduced from 25 to 3 http://url.ie/6jt7

]]> By: kaiko http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6730 kaiko Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:26:24 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6730 It seems people can't read the whole article. The author clearly says: "And, as several people pointed out to me just after I wrote this, recent research seems to indicate that on modern drives, one pass is enough." 6 redundant comments! Erasing the drive is not paranoia is common sense. If he going to sell or give away those drives, the person(s) could/will try to find something. It seems people can’t read the whole article. The author clearly says:

“And, as several people pointed out to me just after I wrote this, recent research seems to indicate that on modern drives, one pass is enough.”

6 redundant comments!

Erasing the drive is not paranoia is common sense. If he going to sell or give away those drives, the person(s) could/will try to find something.

]]> By: FuturePilot http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6725 FuturePilot Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:37:08 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6725 Debunked http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwritten-data-gutmann.html Debunked
http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwritten-data-gutmann.html

]]> By: Jakub Steiner http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6724 Jakub Steiner Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:12:14 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6724 Security paranoia going beyond /dev/zero? Doesn't sound like the Nat I know. Security paranoia going beyond /dev/zero? Doesn’t sound like the Nat I know.

]]> By: Nat Friedman http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6723 Nat Friedman Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:16:19 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6723 Good point, I will have to start doing this. Good point, I will have to start doing this.

]]> By: Tom http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6722 Tom Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:13:27 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6722 To avoid this in the future just encrypt all your drives. Then a simple reformat or repartioning will be very secure and also has a lot of benefits for mobile computers that you use while traveling. A new multicore CPU with a SSD can handle it just fine. To avoid this in the future just encrypt all your drives. Then a simple reformat or repartioning will be very secure and also has a lot of benefits for mobile computers that you use while traveling.
A new multicore CPU with a SSD can handle it just fine.

]]> By: timmbob http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6721 timmbob Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:29:47 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6721 Since comments are working again: According to Wright et.al. [2008] (http://www.springerlink.com/content/408263ql11460147/) it is sufficient to overwrite with zeros or "noise" a single time. Since comments are working again:

According to Wright et.al. [2008] (http://www.springerlink.com/content/408263ql11460147/) it is sufficient to overwrite with zeros or “noise” a single time.

]]> By: Erick http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6720 Erick Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:01:02 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6720 A friend of mine works at Kroll OnTrack in Minnesota. They are data recovery specialists. He says it doesn't matter what that paper says or any government paranoia, writing zeros is effective and multiple passes only wastes time. Your data is of no particular interest and going to the lengths it would take to recover any minuscule portions would not be worth it, provided it were productive. A friend of mine works at Kroll OnTrack in Minnesota. They are data recovery specialists. He says it doesn’t matter what that paper says or any government paranoia, writing zeros is effective and multiple passes only wastes time. Your data is of no particular interest and going to the lengths it would take to recover any minuscule portions would not be worth it, provided it were productive.

]]> By: Alan http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6719 Alan Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:55:02 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6719 The UCSD folks also have several methods for getting round freeze lock: http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/HDDEraseReadMe.txt The UCSD folks also have several methods for getting round freeze lock:
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/HDDEraseReadMe.txt

]]> By: Alan http://nat.org/blog/2010/06/a-full-gutmann/comment-page-1/#comment-6718 Alan Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:48:09 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1592#comment-6718 More information and tools are available from the Center for Magnetic Recording Research at UCSD: http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml Note that according to their research: "...in today’s drives, multiple overwrites are no more effective than a single overwrite." Also see NIST 800-88. More information and tools are available from the Center for Magnetic Recording Research at UCSD:
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml

Note that according to their research: “…in today’s drives, multiple overwrites are no more effective than a single overwrite.”

Also see NIST 800-88.

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