With the increasing demand for recycled and refurbished electronics, and the growing phone-selling market online, a need for safeguarding one’s private data has become an important issue in a progressively computerized world. In other words, beware of the data-scouring fiends that patiently await your recycled smartphones.
“Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year,” Dwight Schrute exclaims to Jim Halpert after Jim shows up to work wearing the exact same outfit as Dwight -- a classic reference from The Office. It is true; it does happen to millions of people every year. With the incredible amounts of data being stored on smartphones that are capable of just about anything nowadays, large amounts of personal data may be at risk if not taken care of properly.
So how do we avoid this problem? BlackBelt Defence seems to have a grip on things with its recently introduced DataWipe software algorithm that claims to securely erase data on all memory chips including solid-state drives and Flash memory.
The typical Flash memory drive contains its own onboard memory protection algorithm known as wear leveling. This process functions as a means of leveling out the amount of wear each individual memory block on the chip suffers due to each write/copy cycle. This is done in order to extend the lifetime of each cell’s ability to store a charge by re-mapping the contents of the internal memory on each subsequent write cycle. Thus, it does not allow a complete overwrite of the memory cells to happen. The problem here is that traditional data wiping processes used by recycling and refurbishing companies use an overwriting technique that is meant for CDs, DVDs, and the like, but not SSD and Flash memory.
This is where BlackBelt Defence’s new DataWipe software makes its case. Unlike other data deletion methods, its algorithm works alongside the wear leveling process to completely wipe all data from a memory chip. Some other key benefits of the software include reduced operational overheads, fully traceable audit trails, brand identity safeguarding, customer data protection, and a user-friendly interface.
BlackBelt’s software seems very worthy of its name for the protection it offers to companies and individuals concerned with safeguarding their data. Though the company claims it still may not be able to avoid high-tech security attacks that employ electron microscopes, it is still the best data protection software available commercially. So much so that the British government is considering it for an award. So if you are feeling paranoid about selling your phone on eBay, consider getting yourself a BlackBelt for protection. BlackBelt DataWipe, that is.
This is really interesting, Cabe, and definitely a needed technology for people who want to ensure they don't leave anything recoverable on an old device, laptop or PC. I don't know about these type of products...is this an entirely new method for wiping data that isn't already being used today?
I think Elizabeth's question is a good one: just how different is this from other software methods, which are notoriously incomplete, vs destroying the drive itself. Can you give us, or point us to, a more detailed technical description of how it works?
Well put, as usual, Ann. That's exactly what I meant! I'm not so familiar with how the technology in general works, so would be good to know the difference.
The style of "wiping" a phone's data is a sensitive matter. Only user modified space can have the process applied. Some of which is in an OS or hardware protected space. IE:phone's contacts, text messages, etc. So, those areas need surgical style writing and rewriting of bits to cover over the original data. A process like DBAN will overwrite all data it has access to. DBAN, for example, may not get to all of a phone's data, in other words.
Very informative post Cabe. I do just about the same a Charles indicated in his comments: just put the old laptops, cell phones, etc etc in the basement and buy new. I was just made aware of a company in my home town that provides a service wiping PC hard-disks and cell phone memory. It's (apparently) doing a booming business. They also repair cell phones when damaged. It's a retail establishment so I paid them a visit to see what they were all about. I was amazed and the business they do wiping memory. Obviously this is a definite need prior to tossing, selling or giving electronics to other people. Great post.
I'm not surprised that company is doing a booming business, bobjengr. I've talked to countless people who say they're afraid to get rid of their old electronics, especially if they used them to buy something online.
Unfortunately, I can't just put gear in the basement, per say. After letting a bunch of old computers and laptops age from being worth a little money to garbage, I don't like to house tech anymore. I like to sell what I don't use, and buy the next new "whatever."
However, I have destroyed harddrives when I worked in medical IT. That is always an option.
PS. I still have a 286, 386, and 486 PC in storage. The computers of my youth, to be exact. Old video game consoles I can't seem to part with. A few webOS based cell phones, I just like to have as backup. So, perhaps I do follow your suggestion.
Most of those old devices I keep are within 20 feet of me right now. So, it is more like "try not to notice every day."
However, with programs like DOSbox, I am considering recycling the old PCs. Though, perhaps they are becoming collector's items now. My father sold all his old 12" foppy disk based PCs and such on Ebay not too long ago for quite a bit. The original boxes fetched a healthy price on their own.
Cabe, I'll have to try this out. I hate to admit it but I have a couple old laptops and phones where this has been the problem in getting rid of them. Normally I have damaged the hard drive to make sure that no one could get personal information but this is obviously a much better solution. Thanks.
I don't think this technology is designed for computer hard drives. Their marketing blurb indicates it is for phones and possibly tablets which use flash memory. I think the only reliable way to prevent data from being recovered from a disc drive is to spike it, then give it to your grand-children and ask them to take extra care in handling it, then burn-it. Flash drives are designed to be fairly robust and until now there were few if any product capable of completely defeating the built-in protection. If you dispose of your cell-phone or tablet, you cannot be absolutely sure the data is erased using any of the device's controls, so this product is a significant step forward.
I do not believe DBAN can effectively wipe personal data off cell-phones. IE: contact info, text messages, etc. The free storage space, maybe. There is no other way I have seen that can NSA-level clean cell-phones/smartphones. I often read of people buying phones and such off Ebay and restoring all the "deleted" files. So, I never plan on selling a phone like that.
This BlackBelt option is definitely filling a need. I am surprised others are not joining the game.
Cabe, I was not inferring that dban is intended for phones. I was replying to the posts about old laptops and PC hard drives being stored just to keep the data safe. At least I thought that was where I replied.
I researched dban a few years ago when I needed to wipe a PC hard drive for my employer. That was one of the best free versions available. From all that I found it can be comparable to (quite) expensive commercial versions as well government methods of data wiping. It depends on the level of erase that you desire and how long you want it to take as to how effective the wipe. It is not as thorough as a government wipe, but pretty darn close for a freeware application and more than likely good enough to recycle your HDD.
If I remember correctly, a 7-cycle wipe will clean the HDD to such a level that the only way to gather any data from it is to have near-forensic levels of inspection.
Cabe - So are you saying that DBAN isn't even that great? Your recommendation for running it 10 times makes me a bit nervous. I'm thinking going back to the old sledge hammer is the best approach. (Actually, drill press, but the sledg hammer makes a better visual).
DBAN is great. Running it 10 times would definitely wipe a harddrive enough so the average, and even adept, user would not be able to get data off the drive. Perhaps the NSA could get recover whatever is on there...
However, DBAN is currently not set up to use on cell phones. Perhaps in the near future.
And yes, the hammer to the drive is a good idea. Even those platter pieces could have recoverable data on them. Use this method as a last resort.
To really get rid of files, at least to the point where they are not recoverable, fiurst erase them, then save new data on top of them, then run the disk optimizer. After that, erase the files agin, run the disk optimizer again after all of the stuff is erased, then save new stuff, such as large picture files, until the memory is full. By rearranging the memory segments and then writing new stuff in them, and doing the whole sequence a few times, anything that could possibly be recovered would be small chunks of a file at most. Sort oof like the "shred and burn "process, except less pollution.
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