destroying the OS


 
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Operating Systems AIX destroying the OS
# 1  
Old 07-03-2007
destroying the OS

Hi Guys

I have a cool job to do and that's to destroy aix5.1 on two of my servers. I need to get rid of all information. I have thought of a way of doing this and wondered if any of you had any ideas!!

Get the machine into maint mode and run the dd cmd!
# 2  
Old 07-05-2007
I have a bad way, but is fast and easy.
Just open the cover of the internal hard disk, unplug them and plug them back in a different order, O/S gone.
# 3  
Old 07-05-2007
Quote:
Originally Posted by animata
Hi Guys

I have a cool job to do and that's to destroy aix5.1 on two of my servers. I need to get rid of all information. I have thought of a way of doing this and wondered if any of you had any ideas!!

Get the machine into maint mode and run the dd cmd!
and AIX 5.1 does indeed have /dev/zero so

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hdXXX

however eraseing data isn't as much fun as smashing things with a sledgehammer.
# 4  
Old 07-05-2007
I belive that ten gallons of gasoline and a lighter would probably do the trick and very fast as well...
# 5  
Old 07-05-2007
Hmmm !!!!!!!! Some nice ideas here but i liked the sledgehammer one Smilie
kamitsin
# 6  
Old 07-05-2007
Make 4 equal size holes through all the harddrive platters with a cheap drill from Wal-Mart and no security expert would ever be able to recover the data... also much less mess than the sledge hammer.
# 7  
Old 07-05-2007
You’d be amazed / horrified what hard disk recovery specialists can recover...

There is one way to safely destroy the data so that it cannot ever be read again:
Destroy the magnetic media.

Drilling a few holes will only destroy the data that was where the hole now is.

You could take the disk platters out and grind off all of the surface - messy, it would take ages, and how would you ensure you had ground enough of the surface off to completely destroy the media.

Degauss the disk - you can buy specialist machines to do literally this - but how to ensure it has had enough exposure to definitely do the job?

The sledge hammer route - Companies that do secure data destruction that I know of use the sledge hammer method, literally, well OK they don’t employ a bloke with a sledgehammer to smash them, they use a crushing machine.

If the data MUST be destroyed the "sledge hammer way" is the only sure way.
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