Best way to destroy a harddrive's data in about 30 seconds?

[schneiderguy]

So say the FBI notices you doing some illegal on the internet that will land you in jail for 30+ years if caught. One day they come knock on your door with a search warrant. If you have 30 seconds before they knock the door down, what's the best way to get rid of your hard drive's data to destroy the incriminating evidence? Let's say the FBI would tear apart your entire house to find it, so hiding it wouldn't work.

Obviously things like thermite or grinding it into 100000 pieces would work, but if you only have 30 seconds to do it those aren't good choices.

Would sticking it in the microwave work?

 

[necine]

No it wouldn't probably need to have a bomb rigged to your computer.

 

[Kirby]

Eat it.

 

[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: nkgreen
Eat it.

I don't think I could swallow and entire hard disk platter in 30 seconds

 

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: schneiderguy
So say the FBI notices you doing some illegal on the internet that will land you in jail for 30+ years if caught. One day they come knock on your door with a search warrant. If you have 30 seconds before they knock the door down, what's the best way to get rid of your hard drive's data to destroy the incriminating evidence? Let's say the FBI would tear apart your entire house to find it, so hiding it wouldn't work.

Obviously things like thermite or grinding it into 100000 pieces would work, but if you only have 30 seconds to do it those aren't good choices.

Would sticking it in the microwave work?

Have the thermite rigged inside your computer so that way, you just push that big red button(or very small one, you don't wanna do it on accident) and then... "FBI, WE HAS WARRANT" *SMASH* Evidence gone.

 

[Fenixgoon]

can you disassemble a hard drive in under 30 seconds, just to get to the platters in the first place?

 

[Dumac]

Other than melting it in lava or blowing it up, nothing. Techies can recover erased hard drive data pretty easily, despite being wiped, magnetized, or other extreme methods.

 

[Kirby]

Originally posted by: schneiderguy

Originally posted by: nkgreen
Eat it.

I don't think I could swallow and entire hard disk platter in 30 seconds

Then I guess you're cool with going to jail.

Don't be a puss, suck that bad boy down like you've got a pair of cajones.

 

[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
can you disassemble a hard drive in under 30 seconds, just to get to the platters in the first place?

Maybe by smashing it against something... unscrewing everything probably not

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Keep a drill with a sharp bit handy. Drill as many holes into the platter as you can in 30 seconds. If your HDD happens to be in a workshop with a drill press you could probably get 10 holes through it. A hand drill maybe 2 - 5 which is probably enough to make it damn near impossible to get any data off of it.

 

[schneiderguy]

Another question: if the FBI walks in and sees a hard drive destroyed by thermite/drill bit/etc is that considered evidence that you did have something bad on there?

again purely hypothetical

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: Dumac
Other than melting it in lava or blowing it up, nothing. Techies can recover erased hard drive data pretty easily, despite being wiped, magnetized, or other extreme methods.

Uh, no.

Let's just say I work VERY closely with digital forensics, and let me tell you it's not that easy to recover data as Hollywood made out to believe, nor it is easy to get rid of it (as suggested in popular movies by running magnets along the rigs).

In all seriousness, if you want to be a criminal and not get caught, it's very easy.

1. Open your wireless router.
2. Acquire boot CD or any of the light OS variant (Helix, BART PE, etc...)
3. Perform illegal activities in that environment.
4. ...
5. Profits?

Disclaimer, I do not condone any illegal activities that may be the results of what I post. All this information is freely distributed and easily found on Google. Tomorrow's lesson: Offshore Dynamic DNS.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

If you're worried about the FBI busting down your door, keep all such incriminating files on an external hard drive. When you hear the knock, just reach for a hammer and whack it until it doesn't look like a hard drive anymore. Or throw it into a vice and turn.

 

[Rage187]

drill

 

[walrus]

A 12 lbs hammer would work, you won't have enough time to remove it from your computer, so you'll have to smash it too.

 

[Farang]

Delete your child porn and throw the hard drive in the ocean.

edit: just general advice for the OP, not an answer to the question

 

[miketheidiot]

shotgun

 

[Cabages]

I once talked to a guy that worked on recovering data from "dead" hardrives for the government.

Now I know what question I should have asked!

But he did say there wasnt too much stuff that would completely make the data unreadable.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Pedo much?

 

[Skeeedunt]

Tempted to post some potentially useful info, but I gotta say the OP is irking me a bit.

 

[SKORPI0]

Sulfuric acid on platters.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: schneiderguy

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
can you disassemble a hard drive in under 30 seconds, just to get to the platters in the first place?

Maybe by smashing it against something... unscrewing everything probably not

yeah i'd have to go with this, given the 30 seconds. and it may not even work, either.

disorient the magnetic domains ftw/ftl, depending on how well it works

 

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: Dumac
Other than melting it in lava or blowing it up, nothing. Techies can recover erased hard drive data pretty easily, despite being wiped, magnetized, or other extreme methods.

Uh, no.

Let's just say I work VERY closely with digital forensics, and let me tell you it's not that easy to recover data as Hollywood made out to believe, nor it is easy to get rid of it (as suggested in popular movies by running magnets along the rigs).

In all seriousness, if you want to be a criminal and not get caught, it's very easy.

1. Open your wireless router.
2. Acquire boot CD or any of the light OS variant (Helix, BART PE, etc...)
3. Perform illegal activities in that environment.
4. ...
5. Profits?

Disclaimer, I do not condone any illegal activities that may be the results of what I post. All this information is freely distributed and easily found on Google. Tomorrow's lesson: Offshore Dynamic DNS.

This!

It is NOT easy to get all that evidence back... You put it up to a magnet or wipe it with DBAN and you are good to go.

 

[skyking]

30 seconds? You could empty a 9MM magazine into it, I doubt they'd have a fun time with 15 holes through it.

 

[Kirby]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger
Pedo much?

Pedo bear is innocent until proven guilty!