[Novalug] Hardqare (?) Question : Wipe Geekstick?

Ken Kauffman kkauffman@headfog.com
Tue Dec 16 10:56:49 EST 2008


For consideration, I use Truecrypt on my USB drives.  You can either:

1) create a file that is a "container" of another encrypted file system
2) create a partition that is encrypted (not on USB)
3) create a fully encrypted device (USB stick)

I choose to use option #1, because the self contained binaries for all
platforms can be contained in the unencrypted region.

As an example, lets assume a 2 Gb USB drive.  I would create a file
(secure.tc) that would be 90-95% the size of the drive.  The remainder
would be available unencrypted space.

You do have the option of encrypting the whole drive rendering it
unreadable unless someone has the password to mounted the encrypted drive.

It might be more viable than doing a wipe on the USB stick.

As a side note, you can now install TC in the MBR of your laptop hard
drive, which I do.  Before the OS boots, it will prompt you for the TC
password.   If the laptop is stolen or compromised, the raw drive contents
can not be read.  This is a fairly new feature that I am very pleased
works well.  I have used this feature since it was released with no
adverse effects.

Ken

On Tue, December 16, 2008 10:27, Dan Arico wrote:
> On Tuesday 16 December 2008 10:24:49 am David A. Cafaro wrote:
>>
>> One warning, using a disk wiper on a flash drive may significantly
>> reduce the overall life of the drive as wiping generally involves a
>> great number of writes to the disk.  I haven't researched this issue,
>> but it shouldn't reduce the uses by more than 5% of the overall total
>> write cycles on most flash drives.  But, again, I haven't looked into
>> this in detail, this is just a wild guess.
>
> I've heard that there's a limit to the number of read/write cycles on a
> flash
> drive, but I've never heard a good explanation of the reason for it.
> Anybody
> know?
>
> Dan Arico
>
> --
> One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them,
> One OS to bring them all, and in the Darkness bind them,
> In the land of Redmond, where the Sales Reps lie.
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