Well typically, those old 7 and 18 GB SCSI drives and 40GB ATA drives aren't worth the metal they're made from, so it's simply more cost-effective to destroy them in seconds rather than hooking them up and using software to erase to DOD standards. And if the DOD standards for erasing hard drives are anything like their standards for intrusion prevention, then I don't feel that safe (http://blogs.spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/2008/03/dod_admits_to_being_s everely_h.html).
Besides, we don't want to assume that there isn't any data on those hard drives that would be valuable to anyone, so rather than taking the time to scan for data and information on those drives, they simply get destroyed. From: Karl Hehr [mailto:karl_h...@s-hamilton.k12.ia.us] Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 4:03 PM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: Re: [info-tech] Fw: Other than a fun factor, what is so wrong about just erasing (DOD) or writing Zeros to the drives? THere is nothing on most of my drives that would need anywhere near this level of attention. You guys have a bunch of spies and covert ops going on in your buildings? Karl H. Hehr Technology/Curriculum Director South Hamilton CSD www.s-hamilton.k12.ia.us 515.827.5418 (W) 515.209.9767 (C) 515.827.5368 (F) Luddite by Degrees 1) Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. 2) Anything that's invented between when you're 15 and 35 is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. 3) Anything invented after you're 35 is again the natural order of things --- Douglas Adams On Apr 6, 2009, at 3:40 PM, Stanzel, Matt wrote: We always take ours to a drill press with a moderately-sized bit, and run about 12 holes through the platters. Of course, I like the cutting torch idea better. Now we'll all be fighting over who gets to destroy hard drives! From: McKenney, Kurt [mailto:kmcken...@schaller-crest.k12.ia.us] Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 3:18 PM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: RE: [info-tech] Fw: If I really want to wipe a drive, I take it down to the metal shop and use a cutting torch to reduce it to slag. I've done this 3 times in 12 years. It has the downside of not being able to use it on anything else, however I guarantee this technique will prevent any known data recovery technique. Ok, a Ouija board might help. But can you imagine doing all those 0's and 1's? ________________________________ From: info-tech-ow...@aea8.k12.ia.us [mailto:info-tech-ow...@aea8.k12.ia.us] On Behalf Of Murray Gafkjen Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 1:27 PM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: RE: [info-tech] Fw: It's been awhile since we had to wipe a drive. Our current device, Sonix by Logicube, used for creating an imagine can also wipe it to DOD standards. It runs for about $2,000 and cleans one machine at a time.. Have a good week to all, Murray Gafkjen CCE From: info-tech-ow...@aea8.k12.ia.us [mailto:info-tech-ow...@aea8.k12.ia.us] On Behalf Of McKenney, Kurt Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 12:19 PM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: RE: [info-tech] Fw: Q. I am concerned with the information that may be left on the hard drives even though we did a complete wipe, what do you do to insure me that my information is safe? A. We take this very seriously. We start by using our in house Veridan Hard drive de-gausser. This unit will 'fry' a hard drive in roughly 5 seconds, and any drive up to 500mb. Correct me if I'm wrong, but 500 Megabyte drives really aren't an issue for any of us... ________________________________ From: info-tech-ow...@aea8.k12.ia.us [mailto:info-tech-ow...@aea8.k12.ia.us] On Behalf Of Scott Fosseen [Prairie Lakes AEA] Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 12:05 PM To: Info-Tech Subject: [info-tech] Fw: From: Phoenix E-Waste Solutions LLC <mailto:pesoluti...@iowatelecom.net> Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 11:32 AM To: sfoss...@aea8.k12.ia.us Once again this year during Earth Week, April 20th thru April 24th Phoenix E-Waste Solutions LLC in Marshalltown Iowa will be holding an E-Cycling Drive for Schools located throughout all of Iowa. This E-Cycling drive is geared towards reducing and diverting toxic wastes from area landfills. Recycling Fee Schedule: CRT Computer Monitors: $6.00 Each Flat Pannel Computer Monitors: $5.00 each Desktop Printers: $2.00 each PC's, Miscellanious items such as: Keyboards, mice, speakers, cables, overhead projectors are accepted at no charge. Collection will take place during the week of April 20th. Items must be palletized and wrapped for trucking. Please contact Brett or Mike with Phoenix E-Waste at 1-641-753-7200 or e-mail us at pesoluti...@iowatelecom.net to schedule a pickup or for further questions. I'm sure a few of you will have questions concerning e-waste recycled through us. Hopefully I can cover them all in this short E-Mail Q. What happens to our 'stuff' once it has arrived at your facility? A. We break everything down into roughly 8 categories- Computers Computer Monitors TV's Printers Miscellaneous Items (VCR's, Radio's, Recording Device's, typewriters, things like this) Keyboards Mice Flat Screen Monitors >From there, each category is once again broke down completely by de-manufacturing everything in house. By the time we are done, we have roughly 16 commodities ready for shredding/smelting or re-use. Q. I am concerned with the information that may be left on the hard drives even though we did a complete wipe, what do you do to insure me that my information is safe? A. We take this very seriously. We start by using our in house Veridan Hard drive de-gausser. This unit will 'fry' a hard drive in roughly 5 seconds, and any drive up to 500mb. This physically destroys the media disk located inside the drive. This deems the drive inoperable and unusable. From there, we cage drives up and transport to an undisclosed shredding facility right here in Iowa. We then recover the aluminum scrap for breakage. Q. What happens to our CRT Glass? Do you recycle it on site, and are you permitted to recycle these items? A. As I noted before, we de-manufacture everything in house. CRT Tubes are binned, weighed, and shipped to Doe Run, St Louis Mo for crushing and lead extraction. We call this Glass-to-Glass recycling.
