Anonymous Iran

Crayson4Iran

Don't be too paranoid.

Factor in the number of people.
The number of computers and hard drives.
The amount of data!

Iran has only so many forensic experts/laboratories and limited time.
The can't try and recover thousands of empty harddrives.

I recomend having this little program handy and use it.
The more people use it the better, the bigger the number of trashed hard drives they need to look at.

Nothing is absolutely safe, but this is certainly a way to make it MUCH safer in case your computer is in danger to fall in their hands and you need it wiped quickly!

Unregistered

worse comes to worse if you've got the time you could attempt to physically destroy the hard drive.

Ver Greeneyes

Of course that might give them more grounds to arrest you on. Just a wiped hard disk doesn't mean much.

Unregistered

the free program ERASER works beautifully too. You can do a Gutzman erase or choose fewer passes...it also cleans the empty spaces on your hard drive >)

Yar

I can't imagine there being many competent government forensic examiners in Iran? Federal agents in the US that do this can sometimes barely turn on a computer. It is the private sector which is light years ahead.

Another way to secure your data is to use full disk encryption with TrueCrypt and modify the boot loader with a hex editor to remove the string "truecrypt"

Modify TrueCrypt Encryption Boot Loader Strings | Anti-Forensics

This way you've a disk full of data, it's just unreadable.

Unregistered

just get some thermite rigged over your PC theres a perfect solution

DeiBellum

For those of you using linux, instead of using the 'rm' command, use the command 'shred' it effectively does the same thing as the tools above. For a more secure erase use 'shred -z' which will add a layer of Zeros over your "shreded" data.

Source: shred - Linux Command - Unix Command

Unregistered

I spent two years working in a computer forensics shop - we used Eraser to wipe drives that were used to transport client data/backups/what have you, and we slept just fine at night.

Bob-a-bouy

What about magnetic domains? Bit storage area boundry regions?
Why do you spread this kind of disinformation?

Sheesh, even shuffling a deck cards requires at least 8 passes to randomize. Disk storage is not numerical, it is physical. In forensic or recovery analysis we do not search the numerical content of a disk like a computer operating system would, we look at the magnetic properties of the entire platter surface.

Pshaw.

xtheory

Forget software means of erasing data. Unless you have enough time to wipe drives with the standard DoD 7 pass wipe you should go for complete destruction and use thermite to melt the drives down to molten metal. The recipe is extremely simple and cheap to make. You should have as many batches of these prepared ahead of time in the event you have to throw the hard drives into it and light it before bailing. Here is how you make it:

You take 8 grams of powdered iron oxide to 3 grams of powdered aluminum and put them in a standard clay flowerpot. It's best to have a thin magnesium strip of metal to act as an ignition method. All you need to do is light the magnesium strip with a match or preferably a butane lighter. Before lighting it bury the hard drive in the middle of the mix and light. Security forces or police will not be able to put out the thermite once ignited and it will burn at around 2500 deg C effectively melting the entire hard drive in minutes. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!! - Ensure you do this outside, because if you do this inside of a building it will set the building on fire and will be next to impossible to extinguish.

Another tip - make sure your computers have easily removable hard drives. Ideally you should be able to pop the front of the computer case off and pull out the hard drives in under a minute without tools. This is essential! You won't have much leeway time when you hear the police busting in your apartment. Keep all your pots, computers and ignition methods prepared and close to each other so you do not have to search for them when and if the time comes. Put the pots outside with the hard drives, light, and run! It will not explode but you do not want to be anywhere close because they will arrest you for destroying potential evidence against you. Be careful with itself. It will not ignite on it's own (non-volatile) but if you come in contact with it while it's burning you will be severely injured or die as a result.

Wiping is okay, encryption is better, but full destruction is the ONLY guaranteed means of keeping your data secure. It is cheap and easy in most countries to secure the supplies for this method of data destruction. It can also be used for quickly destroying anything else that would take time to burn.

I guarantee this will work for you in an emergency. When I was in the Army we'd use thermite grenades for destroying sensitive communications, vehicle engines and weapon systems if we felt they were going to imminently fall into enemy hands. A simple soda can with a hole in the bottom filled with thermite can easily melt through the engine block of a car if placed on the hood. Cover the hole with paper or tape on the outside so it does not leak out. Light on a security force vehicle's hood and run. They will be unable to stop the reaction or use the vehicle to pursue you before the damage is done. I do not condone violence but I fully support the Iranians cause for democracy which under extreme circumstances call for sabotage.