Most of the emergency information erasure systems that I talk about in this course either destroy the data at the program level or destroy the access keys to the encrypted information without deleting them. This chapter goes on the hardware complexes for data erasure, which can be easily purchased in almost any country of the world.

There are many ways to destroy drives: smash them with a hammer, pour acid on ones, thermal impact, but there is a much faster and more effective way, i.e. to demagnetize them. The main function of almost all hardware systems for information erasure is disk demagnetizing. 

The principle of erasure is all about generation of a high-intensity electromagnetic field using electric generators. For sure there are also complexes of physical destruction, for example, punching a hole in a hard drive, presses or shredders for CDs. But most of these are external bulky devices, so the only plus of the method is the opportunity to see the fact of destruction.

I have ordered a built-in electromagnetic erasure system and I am ready to share my experience with you. I would like to start with the disadvantages, as, unfortunately, I found more ones rather than advantages.

First of all, the price is really high. For example, I spent up to $2000 for purchasing, shipping and setting up the one on my computer for data erasure from SSD, including keychain for remote destruction and one additional external button.

The second one is the complicated installation. Even I with my technical knowledge did not manage to set it up on my own, so I had to ask the seller for help.

Thirdly, there is no possibility to test the device’s performance, as the device at the test operation will irreversibly damage the hard drive. If I had received a non-working system, at the most crucial moment it would let me down. Therefore, a big plus of software solutions is that they can be checked all over without any damage to the device.

Fourthly, the system can’t be embedded into any framework. Modern small ones of personal computers do not allow to build in an electromagnetic erasure system. Obviously, it is not suitable for working with a laptop, although on the market there are separate solutions for laptops made in the shape of a suitcase.

Fifthly, the drive might be damaged. Unfortunately, the SSD for $ 1000 will stop working totally after a single use of the complex. In this case, inadvertent operation can be quite expensive.

Sixthly, maintenance is recommended to be held at least once a year, otherwise there is no guarantee the device will work. 

The system of hardware destruction has another significant drawback, which is the dependence on power; thus, as a rule, the internal battery can work on up to 48 hours. But if the computer was left without power for more than two days, the system would no longer work during an intrusion or remote activation. When it comes to servers, this is not a problem, but a personal computer may well be without power for a couple of days.

Moving on to the advantages, the system works quickly, according to the seller’s statement, the destruction will take 1-2 seconds, and it will work out if the malefactors ‘comb through’ the case of my computer or try to open it. Opening or turning over for transportation are the usual actions when someone is conducting a forensic analysis or trying to steal a device, so it is great that an empty drive will arrive at the laboratory.

I have a keychain in my pocket, which should work at a distance of up to 1000 m, but, as the seller said, it is so only on a flat area with no distractors. However, it will work effectively from any spot of my flat. I don’t know if it was worth paying an extra $ 200 for this, taking into account the fact that I have a wired button under my desk to activate the complex. Unfortunately, as I wrote above, I have not had an opportunity to check the system.

There is also an option to activate it via SMS, but it is worth the extra money. I would like to draw your attention that detractors with the help of a simple “jammer” can prevent the activation of data erasure with a keychain and with the SMS.

Perhaps you are interested to know how it all happened. I found a seller using a search, I ordered a device on the site. Initially, when I got it, I could not install and configure it on my own, so I called the seller, who calculated the cost of this service.

At the arranged time a specialist came to me, opened the system unit and embedded hardware stuffing into it. At the same time he had to make several holes for mounting in the case. I was lucky that it was the old system unit that was used and there was enough free space, otherwise I would have to install an additional unit with an electromagnetic complex and transfer the hard drive there.

There are two types of electromagnetic erasure systems: 

• Flat, when the pulse generator is located on one side of the drive. Such systems are easy to install, but, as experts say, are less efficient.
• Bulky, when the so-called solenoid is used, i.e. a coil into the cavity of which a hard drive is inserted. They say that in this case a steady electromagnetic effect and more reliable data wiping are achieved, moreover, electromagnetic pulses practically do not go beyond the limits of the cavity. I purchased the system like that.

That’s it, and all that is worth knowing about such complexes. Below there is a table comparing the embedded hardware complex and the program for emergency data erasure Panic Button.