Gizmodo
We all know that sensitive data left on a discarded hard drive can be a security risk, but would you be willing to drop upwards of $11,500 on a machine that ensures its destruction? EDR's Hard Disk Crusher gets down and dirty by drilling through the hard drives' spindles/rippling the platters to make data recovery impossible. The device runs off a standard 110V outlet, but if you are ever caught in a disk-destroying emergency and the power goes out, just bust out the optional $895 hand pump accessory and keep on crushin' in the dark.
According to the product page, the Hard Disk crusher can dispose of a drive in about 10 seconds or about 60 disks in an hour (fuzzy math). So my guess is that this device is aimed at large commercial organizations or military operations. You know, the kinds of businesses with lots of sensitive data that don't mind wasting a crapload of money on a device like this. Speaking of that, a warranty extension on this bad boy will run you an extra $995 per year. What a bargain. [EDR via Gearlog via OhGizmo]
Comments
this also duals as a blender, so your getting your moneys worth....
You could get a hammer.
Couldn't you accomplish the same thing with a hand drill and a sledgehammer?
take that 1's and 0's
Splatter your platter!
What? And take all the fun out of pulling them apart by hand and getting out those cool super-strong magnets?!?! Bah!
I had to contact Toshibia customer support because the HD in my laptop died. We wound up in a conversation about ways to remove the sensitive data from the HD before shipping. The Customer Service Rep mentioned that sometimes they received HD's that had bullet holes in them.
I figure taking a HD to your local rifle range for 1/2 hour is probably must more effective than this machine.
I've tried doing the sledgehammer treatment with some Hard Drives at my work - it doesn't work very well.
Ideally you just stick them to a giant degaussing machine or electromagnet.
Considering how fragile these hard drives are made out to be - having a 250lb guy slam down a big sledge on them did little more then dent the case.
Uh, how about freeware?
[sourceforge.net]
ooooooh a new bar toy!
I just wipe boogers on my old harddrives, so nobody wants to touch them.
@ Sean: Oh, and if you account for an excessive 10 seconds to remove one drive's remains and place on another victim...it could do about 180 per hour...
You could dtill recover random bits of data from the platter fragments... only way to completely destroy data is acid bath.
I could drop them in my forge for you and separate them into their constituent materials.
30 seconds in the microwave seems to do the trick. its all magnets.
@Vault_Dweller: Although the case may only be dented, I'm sure that the contents of the case were quite unusable after a whack or two with that sledge hammer. (That's not counting any of the whacks that took place while you were viewing the porn that you are now trying to get rid of)
Go to some catalog tool site and get a hydraulic press (8-10 ton). Cheaper and just as effective. (The 20-40ton presses jump up to the 4 digit price range...)
Drills and sledges can be more hazardous to the user than the drive.
I would assume that the target market is the CIA office in the US Embassy in Yemen?
Boot and Nuke is my method of choice for wiping a drive clean. It takes a long time to do the secure methods but worth it.
The outgoing Bush administration will SO need these.
@discounteggroll:Hehe. Good one.
Nice, but I think I'll stick to my Sawzall.
Comment on Hard Drive Crusher: How Much Would You Spend to Secure Your Data? When we retired several Alphaservers, I had the task of wiping several hundred drives. I found a great program called Darik's Boot 'n Nuke! It fits in a floppy, bootable CD, or bootable thumbdrive, and is AWESOME. Loads a small linux kernel w/ all the latest drivers for IDE / SCSI etc, then provides you with a simple menu system to select which drives (and how thoroughly) you wish to erase. I ran a few SCSI cabinets for several weeks straight w/ no problems.
@doug316: The keyword here is "10 seconds".
i bought a 20k magnetic unit at work...its a little effective -destroys even the chips in it, not just the platter data...
these kinda suck because it ruins RMA potentional on SAN drives and stuff, but for end of life...
I have a 1500 watt bulk Degausser. That coupled with software erase, and I have few worries.
It's called electromagnets. They're really really strong and guaranteed to destroy any last vestage of your por.. I mean sensitive data
Disturbingly, EDR offers a super saver shipping option to remote areas in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.
Open it and pour coke in it, contains all the acid you need!
I use a sledgehammer and hit each drive like 10-15 times. Each hit I try and aim for a different part of the circular area.
The biggest problem I have is sweeping up the dust that used to be the platters.
but WILL IT BLEND?????
How to destroy a hard drive in 6 easy steps.
1. Take it apart.
2. Rub one of the magnets over both sides of each platter. (Bonus points for pressing hard enough to scratch the platters.)
3. Bend each platter back and forth a few times unitl the coating starts to splinter off.
4. Throw away everything but the magnets.
5. Tape the hard drive magnet under your co-worker's desk so it hits their leg where they keep their wallet.
6. Be a complete dick when they have to borrow money to pay for lunch because their credit card wont scan.
This is weak. Anyone with a bit of spare time and the budget of a small nation could still recover data from that.
[www.semshred.com]
This is how you destroy a harddrive - make it into tiny, tiny bits. NSA approved!
Sure, it's a bit slow and a very loud, but it's also very therapeutic.
What can this do you can't do with a drill press?
i'm pretty sure that a microwave will fry a HD. if not at least you get a decent light show.
I'm sure Michael Scofield wishes he had one of those, then we wouldn't have had to go past season 1 of Prison Break...
How would I spend?...MY LIFE
Ehh, i can do it for much cheaper.
This:
Plus buddy that welds equals many hours of stuff crushing fun!
Hammer + Fire = Secure
Thermite?
Looks useful, but I'm holding out for the next gen Rosemary Woods Signature Edition™.
Put it in you oven at 450F for 30mins. Ruins the magnets and everything else inside.
Don't recommend putting your Pizza in at the same time, you want that at 350F!
@giyad: so very true...
@j4sk868: I wouldn't recommend using the household microwave for this. Tends to start fires and such. If you REALLY want to "microwave" your drive, head on up to Beale AFB in northern California and ask to stick it in front of the PAVE PAWS
@bosskev: LOL, I dont think many will know who that is. If memory serves, she can only erase 18 minutes of your hard drive, the rest is up to you to explain.
checklist for killing a drive.
1. safety goggles, no one has fun loosing an eye
2. drill
3. pcu-less hard drive power.
4. screw driver. or anything hard
put on goggles, drill out HD screws, take off HD cap. plug in drive. wait for full speed spin. place hard object on spinning plater. press hard.
stand clear of any flammable materials
Maybe I'm a noob when it comes to this whole hard drive destroying business...But one would think you could just toss it in a fire and let it burn to a crisp??? I mean really, is it more complicated then that? I can't imagine it would be.
@SkoGoody: bad fumes from burning plastics
I guess this might be good for high volume destruction... I think I'm just surprised that there is an actual need for that.
Still, I can (and have) done plenty of destruction with just a screw driver.
Or just throw it in the microwave.
@daftrok: "Or just throw it in the microwave."
Nice idea, but won't work for any of my clothes. Microwaves interact badly with gold lamé.
@bosskev: Aack! Brain fart. Copy/paste wrong thread. Ignore.
* crawls back to rock *
what about dynamite or burning it? fireworks??
My Most Fun Answer: aluminum powder and a metal oxide