CompactFlash heat resistance

zachriggle · 07-19-05, 01:29 AM

I am thinking of (yell at me, go ahead) using a CompactFlash card to store some secure files (my PGP key backups, and a few encrypted containers with choice information). What worries me is that someone might want to access said information, and I might need to dispose of it quickly.

Assuming I could get some good levels of heat relatively quickly (gas stove burner, or the charbroiler underneath the oven), how well would one of these suckers hold up?

Is it possible to melt the silicon to make the data unretrievable?
What temperatures would be required?
How long would it take?

Also, how effective is smashing a CompactFlash card in ensuring that it cannot be reconstructed (perhaps then melted)?

MrKlaatu · 07-19-05, 01:52 AM

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I'd say a CF Microdrive and a hammer would probably keep "reconstruction" out of the realm of pretty much anybody except for Big Brother.

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07-19-05, 02:28 AM

Sounds like Big Brother is who he is probably worried about.

07-19-05, 02:35 AM

Originally Posted by Ken S

Sounds like Big Brother is who he is probably worried about.

Or works for.

MrKlaatu · 07-19-05, 02:52 AM

Originally Posted by Ken S

Sounds like Big Brother is who he is probably worried about.

Either that or his Mommy.

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zachriggle · 07-19-05, 03:02 AM

@ Ken S
You're on the right track ;-)

@ MrKlaatu
Nope, unless she's got some wierd teleportation **** that I don't know about and can get it from nearly a thousand miles away, and could then figure out how to *use* the CF card, let alone reconstruct one.

transcout · 07-19-05, 03:25 AM

I find a tin-foil hat works rather well to keep attetion away from my and my gadgets.

Seriously though... are you sure you should be having this stuff if you need you need to destroy it that quickly?

And yeah, Just smash it with a hammer.

psionandy · 07-19-05, 03:36 AM

Just sign a written confession to everything. That way they won't need to look at the compact flash card

MrKlaatu · 07-19-05, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by zachriggle

@ MrKlaatu
Nope, unless she's got some wierd teleportation shit that I don't know about and can get it from nearly a thousand miles away, and could then figure out how to *use* the CF card, let alone reconstruct one.

You're screwed dude........Mommies don't need none 'o that cr@p!!!
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zachriggle · 07-19-05, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by transcout

Seriously though... are you sure you should be having this stuff if you need you need to destroy it that quickly?

No, but I'm a bit paranoid about my secure data. For anything other than casual web browsing (Slashdot, CtrlAltDel, Aximsite, etc.) I use Tor. My Firefox cache is wiped every night at a specified time. Anything that I download with even a slight chance that is or might be illegal in the future to download, then they decide to charge anyone who downloaded it in retrospect, is sent straight to an encrypted container (and then eventually wiped). My swap file is encrypted, to prevent any passwords or sensitive data from being recovered, should my hard drive get swiped. Any time I need to access my home network, I use a SSH tunnel. I have even gone so far as to code software (for both my workstation and Linux servers) that will allow me to remotely initiate a file slack and free space wiping.

I know exactly one password to one secure media (which unlocks a file which lists the rest of my passwords, each of generous length and high complexity). That password changes after a specified event.

Yep. I'm sure. Reading between the lines, you can either establish me as a security freak or someone with something to hide. Even I don't know which, if not both, of those are correct.

@ MrKlaatu
Hahahaha. The moms doesn't care and never did. However, it was nice to move out into a place of my own. The real threat is my girlfriend <_< *dodgy*.

@PsionAndy
That would be very, very bad. 'Obstruction of Justice' isn't possible when you genuinely cannot produce a means to open an encrypted media. As far as the CF card (I'm starting to think SD would be easier..no metal casing) can be completely and irretreivably obliterated, I'll be good.

transcout · 07-19-05, 04:00 AM

Heh... You should buy yourself a Seagate hard disk - that way no-one will ever be able to get at your data. :/

I had two of them crash on me in a week..

MrKlaatu · 07-19-05, 04:03 AM

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.....may be Content that is not "TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 110 > § 2257" Compliant.

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transcout · 07-19-05, 05:06 AM

Unfortunately, yes, that was what I too was thinking. It's sad that we automatically suspect things like this, but neccesarry I think :-(

zachriggle · 07-19-05, 01:18 PM

Could somebody sum up "TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 110 > § 2257"? I found it easily (just put that whole thing into Google), but can't make a whole lot of sense out of it. Why would I be in trouble for not keeping records of making movies or magazines or something... *confused*.

Edit:
Ahh, the title of the 'Chapter' explains it a bit better than all of that legal crud. Nah, not quite into that. I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff unless general Anime gets roped into that kind of stuff too (hey, it could happen). Don't blame you for assuming though, I would too haha.

07-19-05, 11:05 PM

perhaps you should read Section 9 clause 3 of the United States Constitution

Quote:

Clause 3: No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

basicly it means

Quote:

A law that makes illegal an act that was legal when committed, increases the penalties for an infraction after it has been committed, or changes the rules of evidence to make conviction easier. The Constitution prohibits the making of ex post facto law.