After having an internal DVD writer drive that burned mostly coasters, I broke down and bought a new one even though it is only a few times/year I burn DVDs for photo backup or new OSen to try. The Lite-On drive I bought features a new technology called 'smart-erase'. Supposedly it makes sure data is not recoverable. Seems like a good idea, but I wondered if it has been tested by any 3rd parties.
A few Google searches found nothing except a markety spiel from the CompUSA website:
"But what makes the Lite-On Internal DVD Writer stand out from the crowd is its unique feature: SmartErase. SmartErase is an advanced technology to give users the ability to permanently erase the data on DVD±R (DL) and CD-R discs that can withstand any recovery attempt. Thanks to SmartErase, users now can rest assure that their private and sensitive data is securely erased and cannot be recaptured."
While not widely known in InfoSec circles, I choose to believe that CompUSA has long been known for the accuracy of security information about the products they sell. Who says ignorance is not bliss.
This got me thinking a bit about encrypted USB devices, primarily flash drives. If you haven't checked out TrueCrypt, I would recommend you do. If it is good enough for Bruce Schneier, it is good enough for me. That is all. Good night.
References:
CompUSA Quote
Image: Lite-On Corporation Smart-Erase
Special un-kudos to Lite-On for not replacing the Joomla favicon for their site. While it isn't hard to figure out which CMS a website is using (hint: view source + Google), why make people work for it?
