# Take another step and the harddrive gets it! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 25, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761 "2005-06-25T01:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/1 "2005-06-25T01:20:57Z")
[Kill your harddrive](http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000450048037/) Cool, but expensive! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/2 "2005-06-25T01:40:30Z")
Just the thing for Mission Impossible 2005. “This hard drive will self-destruct in five seconds, Mr. Phelps.” ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/3 "2005-06-25T01:47:34Z")
mmmmm… chemical mist… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/4 "2005-06-25T01:54:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Absolute Software’s Computrace software allows computer owners to call a hotline number that will wipe the stolen computer clean the next time it’s connected to the Internet You DEFINITELY want to make sure you don’t hit the wrong speed dial button on your phone! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/5 "2005-06-25T15:08:58Z")
I read this last night and it _just doesn’t make sense_. Think about it. You have all your valuable data on a HD. You push the wrong button some time. It’s gone. Unrecoverable. You just use encryption instead. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/6 "2005-06-25T15:33:09Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I read this last night and it _just doesn’t make sense_. > > Think about it. You have all your valuable data on a HD. You push the wrong button some time. It’s gone. Unrecoverable. > > You just use encryption instead. I think this solution is targeted toward the corporate world where everything is backed up daily, but much sensitive information is on the stolen hard drive. In this scenario it makes sense to sacrifice the hard drive so that the information does not fall into the wrong hands. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/7 "2005-06-25T19:36:41Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > I think this solution is targeted toward the corporate world where everything is backed up daily, but much sensitive information is on the stolen hard drive. In this scenario it makes sense to sacrifice the hard drive so that the information does not fall into the wrong hands. That’s what I’m thinking. It’s for companies that are worried about the hard drive being stolen. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/8 "2005-06-26T01:30:48Z")
So The Bad Guys get their hands on an encrypted HD. Now what? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-another-step-and-the-harddrive-gets-it/309761/9 "2005-06-26T01:40:54Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > So The Bad Guys get their hands on an encrypted HD. Now what? They get ahold of some computer geek and decrypt it.