Paranoia---evidence.

[Pure]

Anyone concerned him or herself with the problem of 'tracks' (of internet sites visited)? Anyone tried methods or software to 'erase' such evidence or tracks?

I had reason to look into the matter, a while back and it was certainly complicated. However, I recently acquired Windows Vista, and the problem seems even more hellishly difficult [with Vista, than XP], with dozens of files requiring *secure deletion.* I found one piece of freeware that helps**, IE Privacy Keeper, but there are dozens of claimed pieces of software that seek to play on our paranoia, some quite elementary (i.e., erasing 'history' files, etc.).

Anyone looked into secure deletion? Surely you all know that no simple hitting of "delete" actually erases the file; nor does putting it in recycle and emptying the recycle bin.

Just wanted to brainstorm a bit. Among those whose legal vulnerabilities, child custody, etc. might be an issue that led them along such lines. Oh, and encryption (of certain sensitive files), Blowfish, etc.

---
**with lots of 'custom' adjustments.

===

PS. another wrinkle--anyone have teens that you don't want re-tracing your internet wanderings? what do you do about that?

 

[cloudy]

Vista is a bitch, fer sure. I'm still fumbling with it, to be honest, but I spend my time split between it and XP, so my learning curve is a bit slow at the moment.

I've thought of those reasons, too, ie custody issues, but I can always take the hard drive when I leave.

 

[tickledkitty]

Vista is a bitch, fer sure. I'm still fumbling with it, to be honest, but I spend my time split between it and XP, so my learning curve is a bit slow at the moment.

I've thought of those reasons, too, ie custody issues, but I can always take the hard drive when I leave.

What about doing a system recovery? That's always been my plan. Will that work?

 

[TxRad]

Safest way to cruise the internet without leaving a trace on your computer.

Run Linux from a Live CD. Other than the setup files for the Linux and what you saved, there is nothing recorded nowhere.

Problem solved

 

[tickledkitty]

Safest way to cruise the internet without leaving a trace on your computer.

Run Linux from a Live CD. Other than the setup files for the Linux and what you saved, there is nothing recorded nowhere.

Problem solved

What about the stuff that's already on there?

 

[Pure]

also,

the stuff that's there, having been deleted, and after a 'free space' shred.

i ran this little file recovery program, File Plucker,

http://www.acutetools.com/fileplucker/

it was quite astounding: the old cookies, thumbnails (from galleries), and even correspondence that was pulled up--dozens, even hundreds of files, lacking only the initial character [i.e. 'deleted' in the usual manner].

 

[tickledkitty]

the stuff that's there, having been deleted, and after a 'free space' shred.

i ran this little file recovery program, File Plucker,

http://www.acutetools.com/fileplucker/

it was quite astounding: the old cookies, thumbnails (from galleries), and even correspondence that was pulled up--dozens, even hundreds of files, lacking only the initial character [i.e. 'deleted' in the usual manner].

That's scary. Even just to think about someone else getting hold of this computer when we get a new one.

 

[Pure]

there are supposedly programs that will commit 'cybercide' and destroy the harddrive's data.

aside from that it's not too hard to remove the hard drive and smash it up with a hammer.

 

[elsol]

there are supposedly programs that will commit 'cybercide' and destroy the harddrive's data.

aside from that it's not too hard to remove the hard drive and smash it up with a hammer.

Actually, if it's just that... you can force a hard drive format where every bit will be written over with a zero.

That's what you're suppossed to do if you're throwing away the drive.

Edited to add... if anyone is curious: here is the governtment standard:

The government standard (DoD 5220.22-M ), considered a medium security level, specifies three iterations to completely overwrite a hard drive six times. Each iteration makes two write-passes over the entire drive; the first pass inscribes ones (1) over the drive surface and the second inscribes zeros (0) onto the surface. After the third iteration, a government designated code of 246 is written across the drive, then it is verified by a final pass that uses a read-verify process.

 

[Liar]

there are supposedly programs that will commit 'cybercide' and destroy the harddrive's data.

aside from that it's not too hard to remove the hard drive and smash it up with a hammer.

The hammer thing won't help. Much. the disks will still have the data and can be read by those who know what to do. I've worked with a company that recoveres data from disks that have been damaged in fires, ran over by cars and shot at. They could get lots of stuff off the disks.

The best bet for an old hard drive is to get software that a) change the current file system and b) overwrite every available sector with random noise. the DOD wipe elsol quoted does the job. There are several tools that does that.

 

[Pure]

ok, a sledge hammer! ?

 

[R. Richard]

Files of course are not deleted when you delete, just removed from the FAT. You can do a bit of good by running the Windows defrag program. The defrag rewrites existing file sectors in new locations and will generally overwrite some of the previous file data. You can also delete cookies from your computer by running Accessories/System Tools/Disk Cleanup. In fact, you should run Accessories/System Tools/Disk Cleanup from time to time just to keep from accumulating junk.

There are 'disk wipe' programs that overwrite disk file sectors several times. Even then, a really skilled disc retrieval guy can sometimes come up with data from the disk. If you don't have a disk wipe program handy, you can do pretty mush the same thing by deleting files, downloading huge files from the 'Net and running defrag.

 

[matriarch]

*showing my ignorance*......

So reformatting a hard drive will not remove data??

I have a reason for asking.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Or you could invest in a degausser - a large electro-magnet. Take the disk out of the case or computer and place the degausser on top of it and press the button.

We used to use them to wipe back up tapes in the old days.


Of course this does tend to fry the electronics on the circuit board on the drive rendering the drive unusable, until the circuit board is replaced.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

*showing my ignorance*......

So reformatting a hard drive will not remove data??

I have a reason for asking.

Not a normal format, no. A low level format, which windows in it's infinite wisdom will not allow you to do, will.

 

[matriarch]

Not a normal format, no. A low level format, which windows in it's infinite wisdom will not allow you to do, will.

So the hard drive from my lap top, which crashed, and I started to reformat by re-installing Windows......I haven't lost the data/photos on there???????

 

[Zeb_Carter]

So the hard drive from my lap top, which crashed, and I started to reformat by re-installing Windows......I haven't lost the data/photos on there???????

Maybe not...you might want to try the program in pure link to see if can find them.

 

[Pure]

hi matr,

as i understand it, the space your photos took/take became available** upon re formatting (like deletion). so whether they are there now, depends on how many and how big files (iow how long ago) you've added. the computer adds a file to spaces it considers available.

you might look at Pluck Files or some other software. In fact there are adds for software for the recovery of photos. Pluck files has a "type' filter, so you can ask to see, for example, all .jpg files.

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**assuming there was no attempt to 'shred' or intentionally overwrite.

 

[TheEarl]

So the hard drive from my lap top, which crashed, and I started to reformat by re-installing Windows......I haven't lost the data/photos on there???????

I have a program which is equivalent to the ones the police use for recovering data from formatted PCs. All it requires is a DVD drive and a place to put the files you're recovering. If you have no joy with the fileplucker program, drop me a PM.

The Earl

 

[Pure]

question for the technorati:

how come: i've used 'shred free space' for the whole C drive, with File Shredder 2.0 (www.fileshredder.org) (it's freeware), and it took 2 hours for 250 Megs, to DOD specs, supposedly:

yet, file plucker shows several--maybe 10 intact cookies, and some thumbnales remaining virtually unaffected, presumably only the first character changed [=100% pluckable/recoverable , so to say]. i'm thinking of trying Blancco's shredder (not freeware, from the Finnish group). any ideas?

==
or, let me put it this way, The Earl: what would it take to make the internet 'tracks'--cookies, TIFs, index.dat etc. files-- NOT recoverable with your software.

what i think would do it is an integrated program that 'recovered' [identified] all available[recoverable] files, THEN over wrote them.

 

[SeaCat]

There is a way to destroy all the data on your old hard drive, one that works 100%. Unfortunately it also destroys the old hard drive. (This is to remove the drive. Take the drive apart and remove the disk. Then you cut the disk into sections or melt it.) I have used this on a couple of occasions.

Cat

 

[jomar]

There is a way to destroy all the data on your old hard drive, one that works 100%. Unfortunately it also destroys the old hard drive. (This is to remove the drive. Take the drive apart and remove the disk. Then you cut the disk into sections or melt it.) I have used this on a couple of occasions.

Cat

Then throw kerosene on it and torch it. CSI has a little trouble then - it'll buy you some time to get out of the country.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

For someone who's totally naive here... Why would you be so paranoid about hiding where you've been and what you've been doing on the internet?

I'm totally ignorant about this. Can they like subpoena your computer for evidence in a child custody hearing or something?

 

[neonlyte]

For someone who's totally naive here... Why would you be so paranoid about hiding where you've been and what you've been doing on the internet?

I'm totally ignorant about this. Can they like subpoena your computer for evidence in a child custody hearing or something?

I believe in the UK e-mails can be used in a court of law if they form part of a chain of evidence, i.e. if you sent an e-mail to your spouse over a child custody issue and it formed part of 'the evidence' you are open to all your e-mails being investigated. Similarly, if your partner knew you were regularly looking at 'porn' that evidence could be admitted to court in portraying character and a court could order your computer be analysed to see where, what, frequency, etc.

If I have an issue with someone, I never send an e-mail, always put it in writing preferably with some sort of proof of delivery.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

For someone who's totally naive here... Why would you be so paranoid about hiding where you've been and what you've been doing on the internet?

I'm totally ignorant about this. Can they like subpoena your computer for evidence in a child custody hearing or something?

For those of us in a loving and lasting relationship there are no worries.

But if you have children and are in the process of divorce and custody of said children then...