7 pass secure erase, but files are left?

[theSeb]

I have to say, I agree. In fact after a wipe you have to do a re-install of the operating system via internet recovery (or rescue disc if you have one). I have done this with 2 machines in the past 4-5 months and you are left with nothing.

It does not matter what os or file system you use, after a format the os will write some data to the disk, unless you create a raw partition, which renders the disk unusable until you format the drive again. Where do you think the file system information on the disk is stored?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Where do you think the file system information on the disk is stored?

iCloud off course.

 

[theSeb]

iCloud off course.

yeah. Or some magical never-never-land.

 

[The Mercurian]

Interesting debate about number of passes.

Nevertheless, I have the option of doing a 35 pass wipe, and so I will - I don't care if some internet geeks think its stupid

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Interesting debate about number of passes.

Nevertheless, I have the option of doing a 35 pass wipe, and so I will - I don't care if some internet geeks think its stupid

Then do so, but know, that there are other geeks* out there that will find this stupid too, so be prepared for universal stupidity.

 

[DVD9]

Thanks for the laugh. Seriously.

I've read some install reviews of Filevault2 and two things jump out at me.

1) It seems to use the same password as you are entering for everything else -the administrator pass. This leaves you open to a trojan attack like this one.

2) Filevault2 creates a recovery key whether you want it or not. It even gives you a belly laugh by offering to let Apple hold that for you in case you can't remember your password. Now, someone is going to accuse me of wearing a tinfoil hat, but what if I decline to send Apple that recovery key? Does it really not get sent? Oh sure, Apple will tell me if I call them that I never sent them the key, but what if the FBI calls Apple?

Apple has admitted to unlocking iPhones for law enforcement but I can't find any journalist who has questioned Apple about Filevault2. That's the way those vultures in the corporate media work. If someone gets ******** by Apple and the FBI and it's revealed in unsealed court documents someone will report it. Not David Pogue, but some tech blogs will.

But no one is going to find out ahead of time to stop someone from getting ********.

Ted Kaczynski was right.

 

[craziness5]

similar problem

Hi-
I have a similar problem wiping my Macbook pro. I did the 7-pass secure erase of my hard drive through disk utility. Once it was done, I noticed it said I still had 5 folders, 2 files, and 42.3 MB of space taken up. I clicked on "erase free space" to be sure I had everything deleted. It went through the erase process, but just as it started to finish (e.g. it said "less than one minute remaining"), it changed to a number like "1024592 hours remaining." I thought this was strange, so I hit "skip" to stop the process. Does anyone have any ideas about what I could/should do? I am planning to sell the computer, so i do not want files to be retrieved, but I don't want to spend the next month trying to fix the problem! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[alex4carmen]

After the 7 pass erase shouldn't there be zero files? It shows 3 folders, 2 files, 630mb used. Is that normal? Did it not work right?

Regardless how many passes overwrites, still some 54 files carrying 638mb data remains on the disk, internal or external disks, it doesn't make no difference. these files are actually written onto the disk by disk utility for security reasons. this option gives you the ability to encrypt the disk and perform other functions such us partition options (Mac bootable, MS-DOS, etc.). to me it's a bit too many files left on the disk while you're trying to wipe out the disk. however, if you format the specified disk using dos fat 32 formatting option, it wipes out nearly clean except 98 kb data (with zero number of files) left on the disk. that's nothing compared to the 638 mb, 54 files.

number of passes 1 pass zeros, 7 pass zeros, 35 pass zeros are intended for preventing the recovery of previously deleted files by FBI, CIA, local Police etc. an ordinary computer user would have no such a tool to recover an erased data from the disk. it takes more than just a process to recover the erased data. an example of a Pilot of the Malaysian flight 370, erased flight data from his flight simulator, and FBI had the ability to recover those datas through an extensive process. the tools to recover erased data are not sold to the general public. if you get your hands on some Mikey Mouse tools, that's not what it is. 35 pass zeros will take you up to 5 days to complete the process and yet it will not wipe out those files, because those files are actually written onto the disk by disk utility during the format process. remember, Apple is invasive and proprietary toward its consumers.

 

[duervo]

Regardless how many passes overwrites, still some 54 files carrying 638mb data remains on the disk, internal or external disks, it doesn't make no difference. these files are actually written onto the disk by disk utility for security reasons. this option gives you the ability to encrypt the disk and perform other functions such us partition options (Mac bootable, MS-DOS, etc.). to me it's a bit too many files left on the disk while you're trying to wipe out the disk. however, if you format the specified disk using dos fat 32 formatting option, it wipes out nearly clean except 98 kb data (with zero number of files) left on the disk. that's nothing compared to the 638 mb, 54 files.

number of passes 1 pass zeros, 7 pass zeros, 35 pass zeros are intended for preventing the recovery of previously deleted files by FBI, CIA, local Police etc. an ordinary computer user would have no such a tool to recover an erased data from the disk. it takes more than just a process to recover the erased data. an example of a Pilot of the Malaysian flight 370, erased flight data from his flight simulator, and FBI had the ability to recover those datas through an extensive process. the tools to recover erased data are not sold to the general public. if you get your hands on some Mikey Mouse tools, that's not what it is. 35 pass zeros will take you up to 5 days to complete the process and yet it will not wipe out those files, because those files are actually written onto the disk by disk utility during the format process. remember, Apple is invasive and proprietary toward its consumers.

Apparently my previous post went beyond the head of those that read it. Here is the translation so that it may be easier to read:

User's would be best served by assuming that the minute they are connected to the internet, none of their data is secure. Apple is no more invasive or proprietary than a lot of other companies out there ... So it makes little to no sense to resurrect a two year old thread to state otherwise. Regardless of wether or not a company is viewed as "good" or "bad", security is ultimately the responsibility of the end user.

 

[simonsi]

TBH I would just destroy the drive, given the replacement cost I like the security of physical destruction. UK Police forces insisted on that from the late '80s when IBM demonstrated mainframe HDA's could be read back after some 9 erase runs. At that point the Police decided dismantling and sandblasting of the platters was the way to go.

Look at the cost of a replacement drive, that is the cost of absolute security in the event the HDD had any personal data on it.