Re: Create text files recursively and write ZEROS within them all

Disk wiping for security purposes almost certainly needs to interact with the disk on lower level than merely writing large files. As an example, the claimed "Mil-Spec security" provided by one vendor involved writing each of a set of byte patterns, in a particular order, to each sector of the disk. Multiple times, I think.

As with many other security considerations, what needs to be done will depend also on the tenacity and resources of the adversary. It's one thing to make sure somebody can't reconstruct a particular file using Norton Utilities, and another to keep the NSA from reading the disk by using data remnants from seeker head hysteresis.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NASB)

Comment on Re: Create text files recursively and write ZEROS within them all - data overwriting purposes

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Re^2: Create text files recursively and write ZEROS within them all - data overwriting purposes by BillKSmith (Monsignor) on Dec 29, 2015 at 23:21 UTC
Security also has limited resources. Using them wisely only limits the number of adversaries who can potentially access our data. I believe that all suggestions so far are in the spirit of making better use of available resources. Bill	[reply]
Re^2: Create text files recursively and write ZEROS within them all - data overwriting purposes by panicbuttonsec (Initiate) on Dec 30, 2015 at 17:25 UTC
Agreed. I can use a "disk wiper" which we have, but they are slow and I was hoping for a quick simple method for overwriting data, especially when the drive is needed within a very short timespan. US DOD 5220 standards are not required here.Even linux's sudo shred command is slow with only a single zero pass. Thanks for the help, though.	[reply]