Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives
Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers
From: "Tonkin, Derek K" <Derek_Tonkin () BAYLOR EDU>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2012 15:04:41 +0000
Thanks all for the informative answers. As much as I'd like to use SDelete I think for what we're trying to do and who we are working with Eraser looks like a better option. Thanks again, -------------Baylor University------------- Derek Tonkin Information Security Analyst Information Technology Services - Security ---------------Sic 'em Bears--------------- -----Original Message----- From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Eric C. Lukens Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 9:15 AM To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Sdelete is good, I've used it to zero free space on VMs so they'll compact better. It's flaw is that it is only command line, but if only computer savvy people are using it or it is scripted, then it should be fine. Also for those thinking of using Eraser from http://eraser.heidi.ie/, keep in mind the installer is set by default to wipe *files* with the 35-pass Gutmann wipe. Since that is unnecessarily excessive, it may make people less likely to use it to wipe a single, larger file. If deploying it, I'd suggest changing the setting to either single or 3-pass wiping. Eraser is set by default to do just a single pass on free-space wiping. Trustworthy research seems to indicate that a single pass wipe is likely good enough for most of us for magnetic-based hard drives, and a 3-pass is more than enough. Of course, there are areas of the disk that will be bypassed even when using a full-disk wipe program like DBAN, so destruction is still considered superior to wiping. See http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-88/NISTSP800-88_with-errata.pdf for more info. Lastly, remember wiping files or free-space on a solid-state drive (or a hybrid drive) is completely different due to the wear-leveling algorithms. Wiping using the secure erase command seems to be the only solution for a successful wipe and that is only applicable to the models that implemented the command properly. -Eric -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers From: Tonkin, Derek K <Derek_Tonkin () BAYLOR EDU> To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU Date: 8/1/2012 8:46 AM
This was one I was curious about has anyone used it much? -----Original Message----- From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Beth Young Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 7:53 AM To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Don't forget about SDelete from SysInternals. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897443 Beth On 7/31/2012 4:53 PM, Hauber, Wayne [ITSEC] wrote:I haven?t tested it, but I like the simplicity of interface for this one: http://freeraser.en.softonic.com/I liked Heidi a while back, but they seem to have taken away a lot of helpful functionality in the 6+ version. (Plus I have stability problems with 6+ on windows 7).I have the same reaction to version 6 of Eraser. I?ve been using very 5.88 in lieu of something better. It is still functional.Wayne Hauber (515) 294-9890Iowa State UniversityInformation Technology ServicesIT Security and Policies297 Durham Center, ISU, Ames, Iowa 50011wjhauber () iastate edu <mailto:wjhauber () iastate edu>Quinn R Shamblin ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Executive Director of Information Security, Boston UniversityCISM, CISSP, GCFA, PMP ? O 617-358-6310 M 617-999-7523*From:*The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] <mailto:[mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU]> *On Behalf Of *King, Ronald A. *Sent:* Tuesday, July 31, 2012 1:21 PM *To:* SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU <mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU> *Subject:* Re: [SECURITY] Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space ErasersHave you looked at Eraser, http://eraser.heidi.ie/, for Windows? We are happy with it and recommend it to our users, though, I have never used it to wipe free space./ //Ronald King//Security Engineer//http://security.nsu.edu <http://security.nsu.edu/>/*From:*The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] <mailto:[mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU]> *On Behalf Of *Tonkin, Derek K *Sent:* Tuesday, July 31, 2012 1:06 PM *To:* SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU <mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU> *Subject:* [SECURITY] Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space ErasersDoes anyone have a recommendation of a free or very low cost product for doing secure file erasures? Having secure free space wipe functionality would be a big plus. Our main concern is that the software be simple to setup and use and be safe (basically, we don?t want the free space wipe to result in a bricked machine). This is for a very short term use and management features are not desired.Thanks in advance!*___________________________________________________________* *DEREK TONKIN*Information Security Analyst ITS ? Networking Systems DPKG Suite 117.3 (254) 710-7061**Derek_Tonkin () Baylor edu <mailto:Derek_Tonkin () Baylor edu>_External Mailing Address_ One Bear Place #97268 Waco, TX 76798-7268Description: Description: bearawarefinal
-- Eric C. Lukens IT Security Policy and Risk Assessment Analyst ITS-Network Services Curris Business Building 15 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0121 (319) 273-7434 http://www.uni.edu/elukens/ If you see an attachment called smime.p7s, you may disregard it. It is an S/MIME digital signature file to validate the authenticity of this email message.
Current thread:
- Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Tonkin, Derek K (Jul 31)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers King, Ronald A. (Jul 31)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Shamblin, Quinn (Jul 31)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Hauber, Wayne [ITSEC] (Jul 31)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Beth Young (Aug 01)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Tonkin, Derek K (Aug 01)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Eric C. Lukens (Aug 01)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Tonkin, Derek K (Aug 01)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers Shamblin, Quinn (Jul 31)
- Re: Open Source or Freeware File / Free Space Erasers King, Ronald A. (Jul 31)