I was wondering what effect direct or alternating current would have on the chip that is used to maintain the state of data stored on a USB flash drive. Could any forensic process recover data after the device was plugged into a wall outlet? A 9V battery?
I would most probably kill it. You'll be very lucky if it didn't.
Graham
"clintonG" wrote in news:v9Jig.26294$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com:
If you want to wipe one, try zapping it with sparks from a piezo-electric lighter, as used for gas cookers. Just formatting it will work if you have time. Do you really need to wipe one so fast it doesn't matter if you lose it? :)
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An alternative would be to stick it in a vice and crush it.
Graham
Pooh Bear wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com:
Hammers are usually faster. :)
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Sure, even if you blow out the drivers, there's still the remote possibility that a lab with an AFM could read the stored charge in at least some of the potential wells.
Formatting the device with a full overwrite would take care of the problem.
Good points to those who recommend good ol' brute force crushing but yes, it would need to be done fast, in a "flash" so to speak, utterly destructive and perhaps activated remotely resulting in the prevention of any and all forensic attempts to retrieve data. I was curious if running current through one of these devices would burn the circuit (the bus) before it got to the chip that actually stores the data.
"clintonG" wrote in
Cooking it in the microwave should wipe it quite well!
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