random data Archives - The Silicon Underground David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more Fri, 30 Nov 2018 14:22:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://kerosin.digital/rss-chimp16321610 The NSA’s disaster aversion by keeping BIOSes safe for the free world https://dfarq.homeip.net/the-nsas-disaster-aversion-by-keeping-bioses-safe-for-the-free-world/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-nsas-disaster-aversion-by-keeping-bioses-safe-for-the-free-world https://dfarq.homeip.net/the-nsas-disaster-aversion-by-keeping-bioses-safe-for-the-free-world/#comments Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:00:13 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=6975 This weekend, CBS ran a story about how the NSA foiled a sinister plot to brick millions of PCs and cause a financial meltdown. At least they didn’t say MELTDOWN. My opinion is that this is a puff piece. A

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]]> https://dfarq.homeip.net/the-nsas-disaster-aversion-by-keeping-bioses-safe-for-the-free-world/feed/ 7 6975 Cleaning a hard drive with Linux https://dfarq.homeip.net/cleaning-a-hard-drive-with-linux/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cleaning-a-hard-drive-with-linux Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:00:28 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=6924 A friend asked me a favor in church one Sunday: He had a computer he wanted to clean off so he could donate it, but since it had financial data on it, he wanted to make sure it was cleaned

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]]> 6924 How to give a computer or hard drive away more securely https://dfarq.homeip.net/how-to-give-a-computer-or-hard-drive-away-more-securely/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-give-a-computer-or-hard-drive-away-more-securely Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:42:55 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=5679 If you want to give away a computer, it’s best to securely erase the hard drive first in order to prevent someone from recovering sensitive data from it after it leaves your hands. The problem with this advice is the

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]]> 5679 The 15-second rule and other (non) myths https://dfarq.homeip.net/the-15-second-rule-and-other-non-myths/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-15-second-rule-and-other-non-myths https://dfarq.homeip.net/the-15-second-rule-and-other-non-myths/#comments Wed, 22 Dec 2010 03:35:21 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=2782 Cnet investigated some computer wise tales, myths, conventional wisdom, or whatever else you want to call it. The one I take the most issue with is the 15-second rule. They asked Geek Squad, and, as a long, long-ago Best Buy employee,

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