Table of Contents

Wipe disks securely

Destroying data and devices permanently TL;DR

HDD

  1. $ shred -v -n6 -z /dev/sdX (-n6 is the number of passes, when left out, 3 is standard);
  2. Remove the HDD cover, drill through the platters a few times with a metal drill;
  3. One minute in the workshop microwave;
  4. Dispose of with the electric waste.

Flash storage

Destroying data permanently TL;DR

$ sudo shred -v -n6 -z /dev/sdX (-n6 is the number of passes, when left out, 3 is standard)

or use hdparm if devices is capable of ATA Enhanced Secure Erase

Hardware-specific problems

Flash storage

Firmware abstraction, write amplification and other characteristics make flash memory potentially unreliable targets for wiping data.