Data Destruction: Difference between revisions
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=How to protect your data while in use via encryption= | =How to protect your data while in use via encryption= | ||
==App encryption== | |||
[[GPG]] / Seahorse for general on-the-fly encryption / decryption of data, signing and verification, key management | |||
CryptoCat / OTR for encrypted or anonymized chat | |||
==Full disk encryption== | |||
#LUKS | |||
#TrueCrypt | |||
#ecryptfs | |||
=What to do before handing your hard drive to a recycler= | =What to do before handing your hard drive to a recycler= | ||
(e.g., you've upgraded to a new hard drive or have donated your old computer). | (e.g., you've upgraded to a new hard drive or have donated your old computer). | ||
Revision as of 12:43, 1 May 2013
How is data stored on computers
When you turn a computer off, it forgets everything that's not written down. Computers write to a "storage device" or "block device". This can be a hard disk, and SSD, flash memory, even a floppy disk. The data is stored in a logical organization scheme called a Filesystem. Writing a new filesystem to the device or medium makes the old data inaccessible- but the old data is still there, and a determined person can find it.
We want to get rid of this old data, and that means writing new data over it, or *overwriting* as it's called. The old data needs to be overwritten several times with a pattern of high Shannon entropy on order to best obscure the old data.
Risks of having data stolen
- Identity theft
- Monetary loss
- Public embarrassment
- Criminal prosecution
How to protect your data while in use via encryption
App encryption
GPG / Seahorse for general on-the-fly encryption / decryption of data, signing and verification, key management
CryptoCat / OTR for encrypted or anonymized chat
Full disk encryption
- LUKS
- TrueCrypt
- ecryptfs
What to do before handing your hard drive to a recycler
(e.g., you've upgraded to a new hard drive or have donated your old computer).