Better to encrypt your drives. Like ZFS encryption. No need to destroy the hardware in this case and you're also save from someone stealing the server.
Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
11–20 of 61 posts
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#12Wouldn't a standard drill press accomplish the same thing, and be a lot cheaper?
Depending on your threat model, a drill isn't even the right tool. This will significantly complicate data recovery and render data where the drill impacts it destroyed, but it will in theory still be possible to decap/analyse platters or nand with a SEM microscope and reconstruct data off the surviving parts of the storage medium. The cost may not be worth it even to some state actors, but such a cost is peanuts to…
Would thermite be enough?
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#13As someone whose job in the past was mass destruction of HDDs and SSDs (thousands on weekly basis) for a major cloud provider this is pretty much useless.
If you wanna do it efficiently on scale then something like this is much better option: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iqU9QSwHcNg
And for SSDs you'd want something like this: https://phiston.com/product/mediadice-ssd-disintegrator-2c/
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#14Better to encrypt your drives. Like ZFS encryption. No need to destroy the hardware in this case and you're also save from someone stealing the server.
This isn't necessarily sufficient unless you encrypt the drives before any data is written to them. If any potentially sensitive data has been written to the drive prior to encryption, the only 100% method is physical destruction.
Of course, this clarification only matters if your threat model involves dealing with top-secret data and/or nation-state enemies.
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#15Better to encrypt your drives. Like ZFS encryption. No need to destroy the hardware in this case and you're also save from someone stealing the server.
This isn't necessarily sufficient unless you encrypt the drives before any data is written to them. If any potentially sensitive data has been written to the drive prior to encryption, the only 100% method is physical destruction. Of course, this clarification only matters if your threat model involves dealing with top-secret data and/or nation-state enemies.
I don't know, personally, I would be very unhappy if someone stole my server and then starts blackmailing me to reveal private information somewhere (unless I pay a certain sum). I don't have anything to hide, but I still don't want my private information public. I don't need to mind about this with encrypted data.
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#16Better to encrypt your drives. Like ZFS encryption. No need to destroy the hardware in this case and you're also save from someone stealing the server.
Doesn't help the millions of unencrypted hard drives that are currently in service and will need to be disposed of eventually.
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
This isn't necessarily sufficient unless you encrypt the drives before any data is written to them. If any potentially sensitive data has been written to the drive prior to encryption, the only 100% method is physical destruction. Of course, this clarification only matters if your threat model involves dealing with top-secret data and/or nation-state enemies.
I don't know, personally, I would be very unhappy if someone stole my server and then starts blackmailing me to reveal private information somewhere (unless I pay a certain sum). I don't have anything to hide, but I still don't want my private information public. I don't need to mind about this with encrypted data.
>I don't need to mind about this with encrypted data.
I'm not sure if I wasn't clear or if you didn't read my comment correctly.
Encrypting is not enough to prevent data recovery if data was written to disk prior to encrypting it.
In other words, if you want to be 100% sure about your data being safe, you must encrypt first (when the drive is brand new), or you must physically destroy the drive.
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
Depending on your threat model, a drill isn't even the right tool. This will significantly complicate data recovery and render data where the drill impacts it destroyed, but it will in theory still be possible to decap/analyse platters or nand with a SEM microscope and reconstruct data off the surviving parts of the storage medium. The cost may not be worth it even to some state actors, but such a cost is peanuts to…
Would thermite be enough?
In what situation is thermite _not_ enough (Given enough thermite)?
Melting tungsten?
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#19Better to encrypt your drives. Like ZFS encryption. No need to destroy the hardware in this case and you're also save from someone stealing the server.
I’d say it depends on your use case.
In many compliance-heavy fields, there are specific requirements around data destruction, sometimes involving physically destroying the storage medium up to some given standard.
I’d assume this device targets that market.
Re: Hard drive, SSD puncher of physical media with 12 tons of pressure
#20If you happen to find yourself destroying SSDs, try not to make this mistake: https://i.imgur.com/XBbLQEQ.jpeg
I usually "dissolve" mine in a bucket of non-diet cola. Cheap & easy to source. The acid to damage electronics, and the sugar gums up mechanical parts.