shredding files on a flash drive

[Peter P.]

Christopher Browne <cbbrowne at ...> writes:
> A problem with Guttmann's paper is that it seems to posit somewhat
> more "magical" means of data recovery than seems to actually exist.

A credible wipe algorythm must be opportunistic in a way that covers all the
recovery methods, hypothetical or real, known or suspected to exist at the date
of its writing. The Guttmann paper is/was/seems to have been that. wipe(1)
implements most of it. The way I see it is, ordinary people who use ordinary
equipment and do not run an ore smelting furnace and a metal chipper in the back
yard for 'credibly secure' disposal (as slag, chips, ingots etc), occasionally
need (or think that they need) to wipe certain files from their systems (or may
be required by law to do so). So the Guttmann paper and wipe(1) do mostly that,
they fulfill that need. It also helps that wipe(1) is a part of most current
Linux distributions so there is no need to fumble with strange packages or
download them from a possibly tracked website. Just one thing: If the Gestapo is
about to knock your door down do not bother with wipe(1). It is far too slow.

Peter P.


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