Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does EraserDisk
do?
Q. How does it do this?
Q. Why can’t I just delete the files
and flush the recycle bin?
Q. Why does EraserDisk come on a bootable
CD?
Q. What is the DoD standard you mention?
Q. If the Short Wipe meets the standard,
why does EraserDisk also have a Long Wipe with Format?
Q. My customers don’t do any government
work. Do I really need to worry about this?
Q. What does
EraserDisk do?
A. It erases the data
on a hard drive so that it cannot be recovered. If you have
sensitive data in your computer, it is important to do this
before the drive is disposed of or transferred out of your
control.
Q. How does
it do this?
A. It over-writes the
existing data with up to seven passes using a variety of data
patterns, and also can do a low-level format that repositions
the sector marks.
Q. Why can’t
I just delete the files and flush the recycle bin?
A. This hides the data
from the operating system, but it is still on the platters
and can be easily recovered by someone with the right equipment
and knowledge.
Q. Why does
EraserDisk come on a bootable CD?
A. Two reasons. First,
Windows, DOS or any other desktop operating system is designed
to run the disk in the background. The only way a utility
like EraserDisk can get direct access to the drive is under
an OS designed for this purpose. Second, if the entire drive
is being sterilized, at some point the resident OS on the
hard drive is wiped out.
Q. What is
the DoD standard you mention?
A. This is a manual for
government contractors and suppliers, called DoD 5220.22-M.
It is issued by the Department of Defense and contains security
guidelines for companies doing business with the US Government.
The EraserDisk Short Wipe routine meets the requirements in
DoD 5220.22-M for cleaning a hard drive.
Q. If the
Short Wipe meets the standard, why does EraserDisk also have
a Long Wipe with Format?
A. Most agencies that
deal with Secret or Top Secret information have their own
internal standards that are more strict than DoD 5520.22-M,
but these standards are not publicly issued. As far as we
know, the Long Wipe with Format meets every agency’s
standards for drive sterilization, although some organizations
also require the platters to be physically damaged after they
have been sterilized. You’ll need to supply your own
hammer for that step.
Q. My customers
don’t do any government work. Do I really need to worry
about this?
A. The problem isn’t
limited to government or trade secrets. Criminals collect
used hard drives from various sources and then recover personal
information for fraudulent purposes. Identity theft is the
fastest-growing crime in the USA. A Social Security number,
credit card numbers, passwords, tax returns, or just about
any legal, financial or medical information can expose someone
to identity theft and other fraud, or even blackmail. Don’t
let it happen to you, or to your friends or customers. Be
safe with EraserDisk.
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