Because previously stored data can be brought back with the right software and applications, the disk wiping process will actually overwrite your entire hard drive with data, several times. Once you format you'll find it all but impossible to retrieve the data which was on the drive before the overwrite.
ICFI disk wiping service will write the entire disk with a number (zero or one), then a reformat the hard three times or as needed. The more times the disk is overwritten and formatted the more secure the disk wipe is, but the trade-off is the extra time to perform additional rewrites. Disk wipe applications will typically overwrite the master boot record, partition table, and every sector of the hard drive.
The government standard (DoD 5220.22-M ), considered a medium security level, specifies three iterations to completely overwrite a hard drive six times. Each iteration makes two write-passes over the entire drive; the first pass inscribes ones (1) over the drive surface and the second inscribes zeros (0) onto the surface. After the third iteration, a government designated code of 246 is written across the drive, then it is verified by a final pass that uses a read-verify process.
ICFI will conduct seven(7) passes on all hard drives which exceeds the governments maxium standard! MD5 and SHA1 HASH is available upon request.
The cost of having your hard drives depends on how large the dive is and and the number hard drives. Typically it will take from (3) three to (7) hours to thoroughly forensically wipe a large IDE or Sata Drive. For small memory devices like the photo and memory cards below, the time is less.
To get a price estimate on having your hard drives Forensically wiped, call ICFI at 972-723-0295.
Other Types of Storage Media that can be Data Wiped
