data shredder

[Chris]

On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:58:04 -0800
NoOp <glgxg at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> On 12/21/2009 08:39 PM, Rashkae wrote:
> > NoOp wrote:
> >>
> >> 
> >> o I recommended looking at shred and scrub.
> >> o Gilles recommended TrueCrypt (which isn't really an answer to
> >> the OP's question, and has nothing to do with the OP's question)
> >> o Amadee recomends dd - OK, but is this practical on a single file?
> >> o Kent write some nice rules about security
> >> o Ray does the same as Kent (who cares?) Security rules regarding
> >> passwords et al have been in place since I worked security &
> >> ciphony in the 1980's. Are they different now?
> >> o Karl of course throws security to the wind... Boggles the mind.
> >> 
> >> So, other than my recommendations regarding shred & scrub and
> >> Gilles obtuse recommendation about TrueCrypt (which I use) but
> >> doesn't have diddly squat to do with shredding exisiting files
> >> etc.), do any of you thread drifting 'experts' have a
> >> recommendation for the OP?
> >> 
> > 
> > I haven't looked at scrub, nor have I really been closely following
> > yet another long mis-informed chase into the paranoia rabbit hole.
> > However, as seen by shred's own man page, you can't count on that
> > program doing what you want on modern filesystems.  
> 
> Did you miss:
> 
> >
> >        Ext3  journaling  modes  can  be  changed  by adding the
> > data=something option to the mount  options  for  a  particular
> > file system  in  the /etc/fstab file, as documented in the mount
> > man page (man mount).
> 
> So, I'll repeat:
> 
> >> So, other than my recommendations regarding shred & scrub and
> >> Gilles obtuse recommendation about TrueCrypt (which I use) but
> >> doesn't have diddly squat to do with shredding exisiting files
> >> etc.), do any of you thread drifting 'experts' have a
> >> recommendation for the OP?
> 
> > That's why we come to dd as the
> > only way to be sure you overwrite what you want.  (by filling the
> > entire free hard drive space in a new file, as root, then sync,
> > then delete.)
> 
> Really? Cite - reference? If you think that dd will do the trick then
> I look forward to you providing details.
> 
> > The only question is what do you fill it with? 
> 
> The only question is what you offer to the OP? dd is a viable option,
> so let's see if you can provide a viable option to use dd to shred a
> file/folder easily.
> 
> < I think filling the file
> > with zeros once is perfectly adequate for anyone not trying to hide
> > plans of the illuminati new world order takeover.  For those who
> > can't feel better otherwise, you can repeat the process 3x with
> > random data.
> > 
> 
> OK tell us how.
> 
> 
> 
> 

I hope I am not to late to recommend an app. 
In any event, there is Bleachbit albeit this app seem geared more 
for cleaning up where you have been and other various logs.

Still, might be worth looking at.

-- 
Best regards,

Chris

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the
government fears the people, there is liberty."

           -- Thomas Jefferson