Need to 'break'my PDA . . . . .
- Thread starter MehulLakhani
- Start date
the only way to get wrid of files is with secured overwriting as many here have said, if you can get norton system works on it, you can use wipe info which will wipe the files in question to United States Department of Defence standard (protocol 5220.22-M incase anyone was wondering 
) basically the file is written over 3 times with hexidecimal values, each pass is verified internally and the s pass phase can be set to repeat as many times as you like, id recommend 3 X 3 passes, this should secure your data from anyone who doesnt have access to a few million pounds worth of electron microscope and several months of time.
originally Peter Gutman suggested methods for ensuring that the recovery of data could be made as difficult as possible for an attacker by offering the 35 overwrite pass algorithm, but hard drive density has increased dramatically over the last decade rendering this process unwarrented. not to mention that with an average 20 PDA drive youd probably be looking at over a week to wipe it if that were used lol.
my advice, use norton / evidence eliminator / some other freeware (although we use norton at work and thats for medical and financial information) and wipe it using the best available method.
) basically the file is written over 3 times with hexidecimal values, each pass is verified internally and the s pass phase can be set to repeat as many times as you like, id recommend 3 X 3 passes, this should secure your data from anyone who doesnt have access to a few million pounds worth of electron microscope and several months of time.originally Peter Gutman suggested methods for ensuring that the recovery of data could be made as difficult as possible for an attacker by offering the 35 overwrite pass algorithm, but hard drive density has increased dramatically over the last decade rendering this process unwarrented. not to mention that with an average 20 PDA drive youd probably be looking at over a week to wipe it if that were used lol.
my advice, use norton / evidence eliminator / some other freeware (although we use norton at work and thats for medical and financial information) and wipe it using the best available method.
Last edited:
Soldato
When asked for the PDA back just say "What PDA?" 
SiriusB
SiriusB
Soldato
In all seriousness you really shouldnt attempt to damage the PDA in any way. Simply because they could turn around and say you're liable for the damage.
Better to just spend a bit of time filling the storage with crap and wiping and so on.
Next time you get a PDA you know you will have to give back - dont put anything sensitive on it
SiriusB
Better to just spend a bit of time filling the storage with crap and wiping and so on.
Next time you get a PDA you know you will have to give back - dont put anything sensitive on it
SiriusB
Soldato
What the hell have you got on there child porn or something?
To stop people recoverning the files, just fill it up completely with files and delete them all. That way there's no way in hell the previous files are still ghosting around in the memory.
To stop people recoverning the files, just fill it up completely with files and delete them all. That way there's no way in hell the previous files are still ghosting around in the memory.
I could be completely wrong here but the way I understood it most forms of storage upon overwriting don't fully change a 1 bit to a 0 bit and visa versa. As essentially we're storing things in an analog form consider changing a 1 to a 0... we just have to pull the storage low enough to look like a 0... but to a data recovery program it might look like it was a 1 before. So you have to pull it to 0 several times to get it looking really 0... etc. They also influence the bits around them due to not being able to completely 100% isolate the change.
So you have to overwrite the data with lots of different patterns to ensure it can't be recovered easily. I think programs typically write all 1s, all 0s, 1s then 0s, 0s then 1s, then pseudorandom data a few times.
So you have to overwrite the data with lots of different patterns to ensure it can't be recovered easily. I think programs typically write all 1s, all 0s, 1s then 0s, 0s then 1s, then pseudorandom data a few times.
Associate
A friend of mine works in an electronics store and his boss wanted to do the same thing to his PDA so they found a power adapter that fitted the PDA (one that gives out more power than the pdas adapter) plugged it in for a few minutes and blew all the internal circuits, Have a look round the house see what size adapters you have.
Soldato
I know all too well how easy it is for a deleted file to get trashed by being overwritten and it doesnt take a lot to do it.
If you're worried about your files, open each one, CTRL-A, delete then paste in a load of random text. Save the file and voila file is overwritten. Now you can go ahead and fill the memory with random crap too if you feel you need to.
Now unless this guy has a type 100 cleanroom and a rather expensive Magnetometer I seriously doubt he is going to recover anything intelligable from your PDA.
SiriusB
If you're worried about your files, open each one, CTRL-A, delete then paste in a load of random text. Save the file and voila file is overwritten. Now you can go ahead and fill the memory with random crap too if you feel you need to.
Now unless this guy has a type 100 cleanroom and a rather expensive Magnetometer I seriously doubt he is going to recover anything intelligable from your PDA.
SiriusB
Soldato
IPAQ's have two batteries. The first is the main power source for the unit and the second is the backup battery to keep the memory alive. Removing the backup battery will clear your RAM, CMOS, everything.
Also - damaging the system so it doesn't work almost guarantees it will fall into the hands of someone like me, who fixes these things and then goes through the dirty laundry on the PC, being alternately appalled by your Steps MP3's and amused at reading your journal entries.
I'm also fairly sure that if the device was loaned to you for a research contract, then the contents of the device belong to your employer. Wilfully destroying them could result in all sorts of issues for you, not the least of which is never getting another contract ever again.
Also - damaging the system so it doesn't work almost guarantees it will fall into the hands of someone like me, who fixes these things and then goes through the dirty laundry on the PC, being alternately appalled by your Steps MP3's and amused at reading your journal entries.
I'm also fairly sure that if the device was loaned to you for a research contract, then the contents of the device belong to your employer. Wilfully destroying them could result in all sorts of issues for you, not the least of which is never getting another contract ever again.