Self-destructing crypto - hackerspace_brisbane

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Message from discussion Self-destructing crypto
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Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:32:56 +1000
Message-ID: <CAP7Zm7kPdFSx4tNNcrKbHjt4ca6YvQRg35F7V8UX9Ewyycy...@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Self-destructing crypto
From: chris bate <thejollygrimrea...@gmail.com>
To: hackerspace_brisbane@googlegroups.com
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how much data are we talking about?



On Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 9:04 AM, Luke Irwin <bujinka...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I cannot speak for SSD's, but from what I was taught many years ago was
> that the only way to ensure data being recoverable from a disk, is to
> either melt it or granulate it ( so termite would do the trick nicely  :)  )
> Drilling holes in the platter will slow someone down and add to the cost
> of recovery, but will not prevent them (with significant time and money)
> getting back the data, and having it encrypted on there simply adds to the
> cost again.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 31 July 2012 08:56, Stuart Young <cef...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Erasing an SSD properly would take a while. Just ask anyone who had one
>> of the slightly older ones that didn't support TRIM when they ran out of
>> free blocks (random hangs when writing while old blocks were erased to make
>> room for new). You'd also want to be sure that it actually erased the chip
>> too (as some manufacturers have a habit of cheating when it comes to
>> erasing stuff).
>>
>> If you're not worried about price of replacing it, thought about using
>> thermite? Just put it around the chips (key flash & SSD storage) and set it
>> off when you're 'worried'. Of course, there's OH&S concerns here.
>>
>> Might even be useful after you hit it with a high voltage (eg: 5kv) and
>> 'fry' the chips (possibly even use the same spark to start the thermite).
>>
>> All you need would be a tiny package that covers the chips and possibly
>> put a simple trigger system across the power rail of the chips that will
>> only fire on a high voltage.
>>
>> BTW: If you're using a spinning disk, you could wind a big electromagnet
>> around it and just continuously fire the magnet in pules to wipe the disk.
>> After that, as Joel suggests, physically damage the disk. If you had access
>> to a clean-room, I'd remove the cover and put the 'tamper device' that
>> destroys the disk inside the drive, as then you don't have to puncture the
>> top cover as well. Will of course void your warranty. ;)
>>
>> --
>> Stuart Young (aka Cefiar)
>>
>> --
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>> "hackerspace_brisbane" group.
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>>
>
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how much data are we talking about?<br><br><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quot=
e">On Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 9:04 AM, Luke Irwin <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a hre=
f=3D"mailto:bujinka...@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">bujinka...@gmail.com</a=
>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>

<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">I cannot speak for SSD&#39;s, but from what =
I was taught many years ago was that the only way to ensure data being reco=
verable from a disk, is to either melt it or granulate it ( so termite woul=
d do the trick nicely=A0 :)=A0 )<br>


Drilling holes in the platter will slow someone down and add to the cost of=
 recovery, but will not prevent them (with significant time and money) gett=
ing back the data, and having it encrypted on there simply adds to the cost=
 again.<div>

<div><br>
<br><br><br><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 31 July 2012 08:56, Stuar=
t Young <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:cef...@gmail.com" target=3D=
"_blank">cef...@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gma=
il_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-lef=
t:1ex">


Erasing an SSD properly would take a while. Just ask anyone who had one of =
the slightly older ones that didn&#39;t support TRIM when they ran out of f=
ree blocks (random hangs when writing while old blocks were erased to make =
room for new). You&#39;d also want to be sure that it actually erased the c=
hip too (as some manufacturers have a habit of cheating when it comes to er=
asing stuff).<br>




<br>If you&#39;re not worried about price of replacing it, thought about us=
ing thermite? Just put it around the chips (key flash &amp; SSD storage) an=
d set it off when you&#39;re &#39;worried&#39;. Of course, there&#39;s OH&a=
mp;S concerns here.<br>




<br>Might even be useful after you hit it with a high voltage (eg: 5kv) and=
 &#39;fry&#39; the chips (possibly even use the same spark to start the the=
rmite).<br><br>All you need would be a tiny package that covers the chips a=
nd possibly put a simple trigger system across the power rail of the chips =
that will only fire on a high voltage.<br>




<br>BTW: If you&#39;re using a spinning disk, you could wind a big electrom=
agnet around it and just continuously fire the magnet in pules to wipe the =
disk. After that, as Joel suggests, physically damage the disk. If you had =
access to a clean-room, I&#39;d remove the cover and put the &#39;tamper de=
vice&#39; that destroys the disk inside the drive, as then you don&#39;t ha=
ve to puncture the top cover as well. Will of course void your warranty. ;)=
<span><font color=3D"#888888"><br clear=3D"all">




<br>-- <br>Stuart Young (aka Cefiar)<br>

<p></p>

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</font></span></blockquote></div><br>

<p></p>

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</div></div></blockquote></div><br>

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