Thought this might be of interest in the thread of deleting data from a disk so that it is not recoverable. ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Subject: Shark Tank: But it DID destroy the data Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 09:27:20 -0500 From: Computerworld_DailyShark at Computerworld.com To: jspinti at dart.dartdist.com ___________________________________________________________ COMPUTERWORLD DAILY SHARK November 19, 2002 ___________________________________________________________ ***************ADVERTISEMENT******************************** Integrate, Improve Access, Get Online - All From Your Legacy Systems Your enterprise applications must adapt to new technologies. SEAGULL's LegaSuite software evolves legacy applications to strategic, open architectures. Integrates applications with other platforms supporting XML, .NET and Java. And enhances the user experience and accessibility with interfaces appropriate for Web, portal and desktop deployment. Visit http://www.computerworld.com/ads/go2/4880258.html ************************************************************ Shark Tank: But it DID destroy the data At this small rural hospital, when IT staffers decommission old PCs, they're careful to destroy all the data on the hard drives, says an IT pilot fish there. "Having no access to a regular disk-wipe system, we would always take the hard drive out of the PC and into the room with the magnetic resonance imaging machine," fish says. "An MRI machine is primarily a huge electromagnet, so simply walking into the room with the drive would scramble the bits." But one day, a relatively new PC tech can't get the case off an old PC to remove the hard drive. "He thought that if taking the hard drive near the MRI would clean it, then surely taking the entire computer in there would serve the same purpose," says fish. So the tech loads the PC onto a cart and heads for Radiology, where he enlists the help of the MRI tech in rolling the cart into the room. "Bad idea," fish says. "The PC was just sitting on top of the cart, and when they got to within 10 feet of the MRI machine's aperture, the PC started to slide. "It picked up speed, then literally flew off the cart, crashing into the opening where a patient would lie during an exam." There are gouges in the MRI machine. The legs of the cart have been smashed. The PC's case looks like a crumpled fender. And the stunned PC and MRI techs are just glad they weren't in the way when PC and cart took off. "We tried to get the PC out of the magnet without turning off the MRI, because turning it off and back on and recalibrating it would take three days and cost a bundle," fish says. "We wrapped it with duct tape, tied three thick ropes to it, then enlisted 12 large men from maintenance to try to pull it out." No luck. When they pull, the PC floats in the opening, but they can't drag it out. "Yes, we had to turn the MRI off," says fish. "It took three days and support folks from the vendor had to be flown in to restart it. Luckily we were insured for loss of business. "And we bought a disk-wipe system." _____________________________________________________________ Can't get enough Tank? Check out other bite-sized bits of humor, rumors, gossip and fun at The Sharkives: http://www.computerworld.com/departments/opinions/sharktank _____________________________________________________________ NEW IN THE COMPUTERWORLD STORE ------------------------------ REPORTS, WHITEPAPERS AND MORE The Computerworld Store, our newest online feature where you can get clear, comprehensive reports on Security, Storage, ROI and more. Find the information you need to get your job done. New reports added regularly so check back often. https://store.computerworld.com/?nlid=csgsh CLUELESS CONSULTANTS? --------------------- Bungling bosses? Useless users? Tell me your tale: sharky at computerworld.com If it gets printed, you get a sharp Shark shirt. FEEDBACK -------- To submit feedback about Computerworld's e-mails, contact our online customer service group at online at computerworld.com. Please include the following subscriber e-mail address in all correspondence: jspinti at DARTDIST.COM ADVERTISING ----------- For information on advertising, contact Norma_Tamburrino at computerworld.com PRIVACY POLICY -------------- Computerworld's online privacy policy is at: http://www.computerworld.com/utilities/privacy SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE --------------------- To subscribe or unsubscribe to Computerworld's e-mail newsletters, go to the following URL: If the above URL is not enabled as a link, please copy it in to your browser window to access our Subscription Page. Copyright 2002 Computerworld Inc. -------------------------------------------------------