Some claim that 35 passes is overkill. Some claim that only 1 pass can render an HDD with files that are unrecoverable. Is this really true? I want to know, because I found the following while searching the web for different data recovery solutions:
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Data Recovery Standards:
Simple Overwrite, 1 pass. D.o.D 5220, 3 passes. N.S.A., 7 passes. Gutmann, 35 passes.
In reply to "Can overwritten data be recovered?" Yes.
As data is written to tracks and recovery programs aim at those tracks which are overwritten, the best data recovery teams sense what data is between the tracks. The name of this is Advanced Hardware Electromagnetic Remanence Techniques. No matter how many times data is overwritten Remanence remains. An Example: 320 Gig HDD with 999 day Internet Explorer Browser history, 46 weeks long, overwritten 2 months. 29 Recovery programs including all mentioned here, 13 Binary, Cache, and Index programs, and 6 Index.Dat Analyzer's were first attempted in recovery. Results were unintelligible. Sent to Aero Data Recovery,"Never seen anything like this". They referred HDD to ESS Data Recovery. Results: 400,000 lines of excellent readable data. HDD had been overwritten 3 to 4 passes. ESS could recover to 7 passes. To truly rid a HDD of data it must either be Magnetically Degaussed or Destroyed. There are many examples of this. M.I.T. saved data from 158 overwritten HDD.
Cost for ESS recovery, $835.00
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Can anyone shed any light on this? I know there have been people who claim anything over 1 pass is overkill, but in light of above, it gives pause & makes you wonder if it is more safe to do at least 10 passes to be safe?
I'd love to know the thoughts & opinions of everyone!