Wiping Your Drive With Encryption

Using encryption as a method for drive wiping is a recognized and effective strategy. This method works by first encrypting the entire drive with strong encryption, then discarding the encryption key (often referred to as "throwing away the key"). Without the key, the data on the drive becomes irretrievable, effectively making it as good as wiped. Here's how it generally works and some considerations:

How It Works:

1. Full Disk Encryption: Use software to encrypt the entire disk. Tools like BitLocker (Windows), FileVault (macOS), or VeraCrypt can do this. You'll create an encryption key during this process.
2. Complete the Encryption Process: Allow the encryption process to complete fully. This might take some time, especially if the drive is large.
3. Discard the Encryption Key: Once the drive is fully encrypted, lose or destroy the key. Without the key, the data is virtually impossible to decrypt.

Advantages:

• Effectiveness: Once encrypted without the key, the data is as good as gone. It's a secure way to ensure data cannot be accessed.
• Simplicity: This method doesn't require multiple overwrites or special tools, just encryption software.
• Speed: It can be quicker than overwriting every bit of data on the drive multiple times.

Considerations:

• Encryption Strength: The security of this method depends on the strength of the encryption. Use up-to-date software with strong, modern encryption standards.
• Completeness: Ensure the entire disk is encrypted. Some tools or settings might only encrypt part of the drive or only new data.
• Verification: While the data is technically still there, without the key, it's infeasible to recover. However, there's no easy way to verify the data is inaccessible like you can with some wiping software.
• Physical Security: If the drive is stolen before it's encrypted or during the process, the data could be compromised. Ensure the encryption is done in a secure environment.

Conclusion:

Encrypting your drive and then discarding the key is a robust method for making data unrecoverable. It's particularly useful for drives that will remain in use rather than being disposed of, as it allows the drive to be quickly repurposed with a new encryption key. However, for the highest security environments or where compliance standards require it, using certified data wiping tools that provide a certificate of destruction might be necessary. Always consider the sensitivity of the data and the required security level when choosing a method.