[ILUG] wiping a faulty hard disk

[Timothy Murphy]

On Thu 09 Aug 2007, you wrote:

> > I don't understand this passion for deleting data on old disks.
> > Is it really likely that the disk manufacturer will scan you disk
> > and steal your secrets?
>
> 	You're quite right - it's extremely unlikely that anyone would look at
> your data.
>
> 	However, the related impact from trolling public newsgroups with e-mails,
> almost equally unlikely to be read may be a factor people should consider.
> I mean, if at least some disk manufacturers didn't look at the data on
> disks, that's Bruce Schneier out of a job, right there...
>
> 	If you genuinely don't understand the concepts of 'secret', 'security' and
> 'data recovery', have a leaf through http://www.schneier.com/blog/

I glanced at this, but it seemed completely irrelevant to the point at issue.
As far as I could see, it was about e-voting.

I am asking what the probability is of someone at Seagate, say,
scanning your hard disk (out of the tens of thousands they must have)
finding your secret information and selling it to your rivals.
I would say it is less than the probability of your being hit on the head
by a meteorite.

I may not have your deep understanding of security,
but if I had secret information on my hard disk I would encrypt it.
(I do have and I do.)

Obviously security is reasonably important,
but much of the discussion about it (and the related topic of terrorism)
is ludicrously exaggerated.

You don't leave your front door open.
But that doesn't mean you have to put bullet-proof armour on it.

Incidentally, I assume from your posting that this guy Schneier
has some sort of financial interest in security.
Such people are largely responsible for the unbalanced approach 
to the subject.





-- 
Timothy Murphy  
e-mail (<80k only): tim /at/ birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie
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s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland