From owner-freebsd-security Thu Nov 18 18: 2:15 1999 Delivered-To: freebsd-security@freebsd.org Received: by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix, from userid 758) id EADD914E51; Thu, 18 Nov 1999 18:02:11 -0800 (PST) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D7BE41CD626; Thu, 18 Nov 1999 18:02:11 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from kris@hub.freebsd.org) Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 18:02:11 -0800 (PST) From: Kris Kennaway To: TrouBle Cc: Wes Peters , freebsd-security@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: secure filesystem wiping In-Reply-To: <3834785B.D1A99603@netquick.net> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-freebsd-security@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org On Thu, 18 Nov 1999, TrouBle wrote: > Wipe is a tool that effectively degauses the surface of a hard > disk, making it virtually impossible to retrieve the data that was > stored on it. This is the ultimate in making sure secure data that is > erased from a hard drive is unrecoverable. Impressive words! Now go read the references people have given you in this topic which explain why THIS CLAIM IS EFFECTIVELY BULLSHIT! No, really, go and read them. Read. With your eyes. I don't understand why you think that the person who wrote the Linux tool is privy to some kind of enlightened knowledge which us poor FreeBSD'ers (and the security researches who authored the aforementioned papers on secure deletion) aren't. If Wes Peters wrote some impressive drivel to attach to his 'obliterate' program about how kick-arse it is, would it make you happier? For your future reference, one of the most important axioms in using security software is: AXIOM 1) take all claims made by the vendor about the abilities of their software with a very large handful of NaCl. Exercise for the novice reader: apply Axiom 1 to the Linux 'wipe' program. Exercise 2: apply axiom 1 to the secure deletion utility "FileSpanker" which can be found at http://www.freebsd.org/~kris/filespanker.sh -Kris ---- Cthulhu for President! For when you're tired of choosing the _lesser_ of two evils.. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-security" in the body of the message