Lanza's computer found destroyed.

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eric76
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18 Dec 2012, 4:59 pm

Woodpecker wrote:

Ages ago I wrecked a HD to protect personal data, my daughter had been typing all manner of personal information into a PC. The PC died and it was a write off. When I came to throw away the PC, I made a point of pulling the hard disk out and breaking it open. If you bang the disks with a hammer and bend them it will make it very hard for anyone to ever read the files off the disk again.

I hold the view that the ultimate method of wiping a hard disk is to use a moderate sized thermite charge in a small flower pot. This would melt a hole through the disk, it would also heat parts of the disk above the curie temperture thus wiping the data forever. If you do that then it would stop anyone recovering the data.

Lets hope that the creep did not think of going for this method.

The ultimate method would be to drop it into a black hole. Second might be to drop it into the sun. A blast furnace would be almost as good and would be much more available than the first two.

I don't imagine that any of us will ever have anything on my computers that anyone would want to go to really extreme measures to read, but there are those who would have highly sensitive material that would make it worthwhile for people to go to extraordinary lengths to do so.

auntblabby
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19 Dec 2012, 12:15 am

eric76 wrote:

By the way, forty years ago it was even possible to read a magnetic tape visually (using a magnifying glass, of course) with the use of bit juice.

what exactly is "bit juice"?

BlueMax
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19 Dec 2012, 12:28 am

The report said it was merely damaged by a hammer or screwdriver. The drive is only unreadable by normal methods - professional data recovery experts can handle this project easily. I wonder what they'll find?

eric76
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19 Dec 2012, 12:35 am

auntblabby wrote:

eric76 wrote:

By the way, forty years ago it was even possible to read a magnetic tape visually (using a magnifying glass, of course) with the use of bit juice.

what exactly is "bit juice"?

This is the best description I've seen from a field engineer:

Quote:

I wonder how many out there know that the information on mag tape was capable of being read directly. As a field engineer I often had to discover or validate the actual bits on the surface of the magnetic tape. This was done by dipping the tape through a trough of iron oxide suspended in a fluid, then allowing the fluid to evaporate and putting the mag tape under a magnifying glass. The flux changes were visible as tiny 1's identifiable in blocks of records.

J-Greens
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19 Dec 2012, 12:48 am

You guys need to look into thermite kill switches. Costly, but ever so quick and effective.

auntblabby
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19 Dec 2012, 1:00 am

eric76 wrote:

auntblabby wrote:

eric76 wrote:

By the way, forty years ago it was even possible to read a magnetic tape visually (using a magnifying glass, of course) with the use of bit juice.

what exactly is "bit juice"?

This is the best description I've seen from a field engineer:

Quote:

hmmm

learn something new every day :wtg:

Zokk
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19 Dec 2012, 1:12 am

Effective destruction of a hard drive: Powerful magnet + fire + 10 lb sledgehammer. Quite entertaining, too, at least the fire and the sledgehammer parts.

I once completely destroyed a dishwasher in much the same manner.

A sparkler bomb might work pretty well, too.

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TheygoMew
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19 Dec 2012, 5:24 am

They are claiming it's beyond repair...so did Adam do it or someone else?

auntblabby
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19 Dec 2012, 5:28 am

TheygoMew wrote:

They are claiming it's beyond repair...so did Adam do it or someone else?

why would it be anybody else? conspiracy?

TheygoMew
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19 Dec 2012, 5:42 am

auntblabby wrote:

TheygoMew wrote:

They are claiming it's beyond repair...so did Adam do it or someone else?

why would it be anybody else? conspiracy?

Well, why would Adam do it? Was it something damaging to himself or perhaps something or someone else? In our society money talks and BS walks.

auntblabby
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19 Dec 2012, 5:45 am

TheygoMew wrote:

auntblabby wrote:

TheygoMew wrote:

They are claiming it's beyond repair...so did Adam do it or someone else?

why would it be anybody else? conspiracy?

Well, why would Adam do it? Was it something damaging to himself or perhaps something or someone else? In our society money talks and BS walks.

as his socialization was fairly limited by all accounts, who would he have teamed up with? and how?

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