SECURE ERASURE
Secure eraser, or “Overwrite” as it is called on the 1:1 HDD Cruiser is very useful for ensuring that the contents of any hard drive are properly and completely erased so that if you dispose of the hard drive no one can easily see the contents. There have been numerous reported incidents of people buying hard drives on eBay and from other sources only to find that they contained both private, and sometimes even classified data.
There are three different overwrite options available – a one pass that overwrites the contents once, a three pass overwrite, and finally a seven pass overwrite that supports DoD 5220:22M.
DoD 5220.22M is the Department of Defense document that discusses both Three and Seven Pass Overwrite data wiping.
This is military strength wiping so you can be sure that your average person is not going to be able to recover your data using free tools of the Internet!
Depending on which option you choose, will depend on the amount of time it will take to perform. If time is not an issue, and you want the safest option then choose the seven pass overwrite option, but this will take a LONG time to perform!
Rough timings for overwrite are:
1-Pass Overwrite: 0.44 min/GB
3-Pass Overwrite: 1.32 min/GB
7-Pass Overwrite: 1.84 min/GB
FINAL THOUGHTS
The 1:1 HDD Cruiser is very simple to use – it’s just a case of loading the drives and making your select from the menu then just coming back later. And the great thing about it being a stand-alone box is that you don’t have to worry about being able to use your computer for something else.
There are a number of different menu choices, but not too many to confuse you. The ability to select fast copy is a useful and time saving addition.
I really do like the inclusion of secure wiping functionality. I go through a lot of hard drives, either for testing purposes, or for long term storage and use, and so having something that can perform a secure wipe again without needing to tie up my computer is very useful.
In fact, during the review I had a pile of old drives that I have been meaning to wipe for ages and I just kept feeding them in.
Noise wise it’s not that noisy – about the same as an average computer, but again, another great thing about it being stand-alone is that it doesn’t have to be right on the desk next to you, you can put it anywhere as long as there is a power socket (unless of course you want to use the USB connectivity).
The two drive version reviewed here is perfect for my needs as I often build systems for testing purposes and again I don’t need to waste a lot of time waiting for the duplication to take place and not being able to use my equipment.
If you plan on performing a lot of duplication then one of the increased number of drive bay models may suite your needs even better.
There is also an optional 2.5” drive component so that you can use 2.5” drives with the 1:1 HDD Cruiser.
Below you can view a presentation video on the 1:1 HDD Cruiser.
The 1:1 HDD Cruiser reviewed here retails for just over $300 which may seem like a lot of money for something you could do on your computer with some additional cables and software but in the longer term it will save you a considerable amount of time and effort, so for me that is well worth the money and is a very useful addition to my home set up.
To learn more about the 1:1 HDD Crusier, and to order one, click here: http://www.aleratec.com/350103.html
Comments are closed.