High voltage rig wipes CDs clean - Hack a Day
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Cutting with scissors
Hi all
Im a bit paranoid
About two months ago I dispossed four DVDs and 5 CDs with "sensitive" data. No, nothing to do with top secret information, nothing that INTERPOL, FBI, CIA, Scotland Yard, M16 would be interested at.
I cut all of the CDs and DVDs with heavy scissors in many pieces, probably more than 10 pieces, randomly cutting them in many directions.
Previously I had scratched all of them with car keys and with box cutters, randomly.
Then, sanded some of the CDs and DVDs both sides. I was not very careful at sanding them, just sanded here and there, some parts with a sandpaper, wasnt really very though on it.
Then proceeded to cut them with scissors, as I previously said.
Stupidly, I put all of the pieces inside the same bag with some other thrash and throw it away to the garbage can.
Now, I worry, what if some computer guru finds all of my pieces and, just for fun, wants to see what is in there?
I have read that even if you cut or scratch a CD or DVD, data is still 100% recoverable.
My question is, what does it take to recover data from CD/DVD cut to pieces?
Does it take a lot of resources/knowledge/money?
Is it something you would do just for fun?
Is it a long painful process?
Seriously speaking, what kind of person has the capability to recover data from CD/DVD cut in many pieces?
Is it something any average computer genius is able to do?
Or does it take an advanced computer lab?
I cant sleep at night!!!
Thanks guys!
Hi all
Im a bit paranoid
About two months ago I dispossed four DVDs and 5 CDs with "sensitive" data. No, nothing to do with top secret information, nothing that INTERPOL, FBI, CIA, Scotland Yard, M16 would be interested at.
I cut all of the CDs and DVDs with heavy scissors in many pieces, probably more than 10 pieces, randomly cutting them in many directions.
Previously I had scratched all of them with car keys and with box cutters, randomly.
Then, sanded some of the CDs and DVDs both sides. I was not very careful at sanding them, just sanded here and there, some parts with a sandpaper, wasnt really very though on it.
Then proceeded to cut them with scissors, as I previously said.
Stupidly, I put all of the pieces inside the same bag with some other thrash and throw it away to the garbage can.
Now, I worry, what if some computer guru finds all of my pieces and, just for fun, wants to see what is in there?
I have read that even if you cut or scratch a CD or DVD, data is still 100% recoverable.
My question is, what does it take to recover data from CD/DVD cut to pieces?
Does it take a lot of resources/knowledge/money?
Is it something you would do just for fun?
Is it a long painful process?
Seriously speaking, what kind of person has the capability to recover data from CD/DVD cut in many pieces?
Is it something any average computer genius is able to do?
Or does it take an advanced computer lab?
I cant sleep at night!!!
Thanks guys!
Hi Bamb, I think you should stop worrying.
1st is there likely to be someone going through your trash in the first place? probably not.
2nd if someone were to go through your trash, what is the likelyhood that they would want to try and put back together your sensitive data? Pretty low.
3rd even if they did want to put it back together, what is the chance they would have the knowledge and means to do so? Even lower!
4th have you ever tried to fix a cd or dvd that won't play because of a single scratch? It's not easy
if the cd's have also been cut, some of the pits will be missing or damaged.
Whilst it may be technically possible to put back together your CD (I don't really know), the chances that some random passer by with the knowledge and equipment to do so would find your chopped up cd and do this just for the fun of it I think is probably so unlikely that you would sooner win millions in the lottery.
Tony.
1st is there likely to be someone going through your trash in the first place? probably not.
2nd if someone were to go through your trash, what is the likelyhood that they would want to try and put back together your sensitive data? Pretty low.
3rd even if they did want to put it back together, what is the chance they would have the knowledge and means to do so? Even lower!
4th have you ever tried to fix a cd or dvd that won't play because of a single scratch? It's not easy
if the cd's have also been cut, some of the pits will be missing or damaged. Whilst it may be technically possible to put back together your CD (I don't really know), the chances that some random passer by with the knowledge and equipment to do so would find your chopped up cd and do this just for the fun of it I think is probably so unlikely that you would sooner win millions in the lottery.
Tony.
Next time, freeze them in liquid nitrogen, shatter them and put the pieces in the microwave after doing all that you already did, then put the pieces in 12 random piles, mix them with cement to make bricks, then drive around and throw the bricks into 12 dumpsters all separated by at least 100 miles. Do this for each disc. you'll be so busy you won't have time to be paranoid.
Hi Bamb, I think you should stop worrying.
1st is there likely to be someone going through your trash in the first place? probably not.
2nd if someone were to go through your trash, what is the likelyhood that they would want to try and put back together your sensitive data? Pretty low.
3rd even if they did want to put it back together, what is the chance they would have the knowledge and means to do so? Even lower!
4th have you ever tried to fix a cd or dvd that won't play because of a single scratch? It's not easy
Whilst it may be technically possible to put back together your CD (I don't really know), the chances that some random passer by with the knowledge and equipment to do so would find your chopped up cd and do this just for the fun of it I think is probably so unlikely that you would sooner win millions in the lottery.
Tony.
Hello Tony,
Many thanks for your wise answer...
Well, I guess you are right....
Just curious, really, how many knowledge/resoruces are needed to recover data from a broken CD/DVD? Any clue?
I will buy a lottery ticket and promise to share 50% with you if I win!!!
Yeah. The effort required would be so vast, so costly, it would not be worth anyone's time. Unless there is something you haven't told us.
uhmmm, well, to be honest the sensitive part is nothing illegal, nor harmful nor inmoral, nor contrary to nature and good manners, really, nothing to do with crime nor breaking the law in any sense, absolutely.
But if discovered, it could bring many, many tears and sadness and sorrow to some persons I respect so much...
I used to step on my unwanted studio opticals until they snapped.
Then I started doing the same but in a plastic bag or folded in paper, as the flying debris hazard is a bit dangerous, and the bits can get in faders etc. and the silver escapes and is also messy.
Then...
A studio guy I know told me he gave all his unwanted opticals a few seconds in the lounge microwave, and BINGO, data destruction is total, safe & easy.
The fried silver layer disc can be tossed in the trash then, no worrys at all.
People had been going down the bins outside the NYC studio he worked in looking for pop memorabilia etc. (mostly finding mouldy donuts, styrofoam cups & cigarette buts, but a copy of something did escape the studio from the bins, so they reckoned).
Cheers
Simon
RIP optical disc forever !!!
Then I started doing the same but in a plastic bag or folded in paper, as the flying debris hazard is a bit dangerous, and the bits can get in faders etc. and the silver escapes and is also messy.
Then...
A studio guy I know told me he gave all his unwanted opticals a few seconds in the lounge microwave, and BINGO, data destruction is total, safe & easy.
The fried silver layer disc can be tossed in the trash then, no worrys at all.
People had been going down the bins outside the NYC studio he worked in looking for pop memorabilia etc. (mostly finding mouldy donuts, styrofoam cups & cigarette buts, but a copy of something did escape the studio from the bins, so they reckoned).
Cheers
Simon
RIP optical disc forever !!!
Okay, these are CD's right? If so they have no plastic on top of recording media. As such they are subject to "randomizing" from top side with a wire whip on a drill. Myself I set the microwave for 3 seconds. Works on every kind of disk I've tried. (CD, dVD R/RW +/-). Three seconds sitting atop a cup to hold them in center area of microwave. 1 disk at a time. Longer and they stink too much or even catch fire (AOL disks were notorious for flamage... No! Let it burn!). Anyway, after a quick nuking, a wire whip to top layer should release all the "bit vapor" (copyright djp 2001) you may feel need to breathe. Doc
Just putting deep scratches on the label side will take off a lot of data and bending them and breaking then into quarters would probably make them impossible to put back together to read.
Even if there was a magical way to read data from each broken section , the data at the point where it was bent and broken ( and the scratched sections!) will be absolutely unreadable.
Whew , what a long thread on this topic. Everyone is having fun !
Even if there was a magical way to read data from each broken section , the data at the point where it was bent and broken ( and the scratched sections!) will be absolutely unreadable.
Whew , what a long thread on this topic. Everyone is having fun !
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