Topic: Whole HD Encryption

[Steve]

Remeber this, even DoD 7 pass encryption (there may be a new standard these days) can be broken given enough time.

DoD 7 pass refers to disk wiping, NOT encryption.

Since I was typing on my phone quickly some got lost in translation. The point that I'm making is an entire encrypted drive that has been wiped using something like DBAN with the 7 pass method can still be recovered and data exposed given enough time. So if an entire encrypted drive having been securely wiped can be compromised then encrypting anything less than an entire drive is just making security that much easier to compromise.

I should have taken the time to type it all out, i just hate typing on my touch screen and my short version was unclear.

[Rob]

The point that I'm making is an entire encrypted drive that has been wiped using something like DBAN with the 7 pass method can still be recovered and data exposed given enough time.

Sorry Steve, but that's quite simply a fallacy. The suppliers of disk wiping software would love for you to think that, but the truth is very different. Even a one-pass wipe is to all intents and purposes irrecoverable.

Peter Gutmann has a lot to answer for...

http://admin.infosecisland.com/blogview/16130-The-Urban-Legend-of-Multipass-Hard-Disk-Overwrite.html

http://www.springerlink.com/content/408263ql11460147/

http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwritten-data-gutmann.html

[Steve]

It's not a fallacy. I have paid to have a hard drive recovered that was encrypted and then erased, by me, with DBAN 7 pass DoD standard wipe procedures TWICE. They got more than half of my data back.

[Rob]

Nonsense.

http://www.anti-forensics.com/disk-wiping-one-pass-is-enough

[Steve]

You can give me all of the links you want the fact is I got my data back and it is no secret that government agencies have a strong ability to reconstruct wiped data. You can use any number of data destruction methods and still recover at least something from the drive.

[Rob]

Please tell me the name of the company that you used. I could put loads of business their way. Also, thanks for the warning on DBAN. Obviously it's a pile of crap and unfit for purpose.

[Steve]

I will happily look that up for you. As for DBAN use any software you like that follows industry standard it does not matter one bit.

[Steve]

Please tell me the name of the company that you used. I could put loads of business their way. Also, thanks for the warning on DBAN. Obviously it's a pile of crap and unfit for purpose.

The company name is Postbit Data Recovery in Sacramento, CA

[Rob]

Wow. Secretive company. Any chance of a link to their website? Google doesn't find it.

[Steve]

It's stamped on the HDD that was serviced. I will pull it out again tomorrow and see if they put the website or phone on there.

[Steve]

Just the company name, city, and state. This was back in '07, perhaps they are not around anymore.

[KnuckleBuckett]

 

[Steve]

There is a thread on it on here somewhere. It used to be an external drive that fell on the floor.

[charlie]

 

[kermi3]

I think I'm going to skip the whole HD encryption...instead I think I'm going to go with an encrypted dropbox folder that automatically decrypts via software on both machines...

My thoughts here are that I don't want to take the time to figure out the encryption and to do a whole new Windows install right now...too busy.  Once I get this machine, I need it to be able to do basic work (Office, a couple programs for research, and dropbox) pretty much out of the box (as in it comes in on Thursday and I plan on using it for my dissertation on Friday).

I'll add more programs as I have time and maybe over the summer I'll do a reinstall and fully encrypt it.