Reliably Erasing Data from Flash-Based Solid State Drives

[Michael Haney]

On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 2:19 PM, NoOp <glgxg at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> When you think you've erased that USB flash drive or SSD card, think
> again. See:
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/21/flash_drive_erasing_peril/
> http://www.usenix.org/events/fast11/tech/tech.html#Wei
> http://www.usenix.org/events/fast11/tech/full_papers/Wei.pdf
>  [very interesting read]
>
> The PDF mentions "Applies patches to the Linux kernel from version 2.6.0
> to 2.6.29" but no clue as to what they are referring to. Anyone know of
> an Ubuntu/linux utility/patch that might be effective?
>

Of course none of the current crop of security software for erasing
HDD will work on an SSD.  I didn't expect them to work.  They are
inexorably linked to how the hardware of a  HDD works, and SSDs store
data very differently.  Its like trying to use a Defrag utility
designed to only work on FAT32 volumes on a volume formated as NTFS.

New software made with the understanding of how SSDs store data will
have to be written to satisfy security requirements.  Give it them,
someone will find a way, they always do.

-- 
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
"The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking
of morality by religion." ~ Arthur C. Clarke
"The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion and
politics, but it is not the path to knowledge, and there is no place
for it in the endeavor of science. " ~ Carl Sagan

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