Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: cantgetno on July 31, 2013, 11:45 pm

Title: security
Post by: cantgetno on July 31, 2013, 11:45 pm
Can you not: load a fresh OS onto an external hd, encrypt it,  opt to boot from external hd and completely wipe the hd so that the laptop acts as nothing but a screen and keyboard or would having a completely wiped hd keep it from working at all?
Title: Re: security
Post by: Treasurer on July 31, 2013, 11:59 pm
Or use a Tails live USB with a persistent volume. It's encrypted and can be used on most desktops or laptops.
Title: Re: security
Post by: Bluto on August 01, 2013, 12:14 am
Are you trying to reformat your main hard drive?

Is it Windows, Linux or Apple? (I can google it)

But once you unplug the external drive -you would have a mostly inoperable computer. DS would still work however.

Also if you intend to remove the data on this disk -it won't work. The drive sectors are still readable if you have the right software.

It was recommended to me that you overwrite; reformat and overwrite the disk no less than 10x AND THEN drill a hole into the disk. Or at least that's what they do at the big financial firms.
Title: Re: security
Post by: cantgetno on August 01, 2013, 12:51 am
I'm not trying to be a smart ass but having a mostly inoperable laptop when the external hd is unplugged is kind of the idea.  I could just get a new small, cheap hd to replace this one with.  I'm not being investigated so I'm in no time crunch and even if somebody did look at my current hd there would be nothing I can get in trouble for.  I guess I'm paranoid but I'd like to completely start over and start right before I start buying.
Title: Re: security
Post by: pemulis on August 01, 2013, 12:53 am
Or use a Tails live USB with a persistent volume. It's encrypted and can be used on most desktops or laptops.
This is what I would recommend, there are many other live USB bootable OSes (all linux, though you can make a bootable windows USB but it take some effort- see UBCD4WIN). Tails is great for security.
Title: Re: security
Post by: Bluto on August 01, 2013, 12:55 am
It's a weird configuration and one that probably works better with a Linux operating system. But yes you can do that.

I've never done it...