[BC] x-rays and hard drives

[Robert Meuser]

Gee

that sounds a lot like the FBI lab in Numbers last night. They had a magic wand 
that recovered a hard drive damaged in an explosion. It only took about a minute 
:-) This is similar to the capability all three CSI labs have to do instant DNA :-)

R

Cowboy wrote:
> On Friday 18 November 2005 07:08 pm, Dave wrote:
> 
>>> They can be one of the more expensive tools used in hard drive recovery,
>>> in fact, and a procedure you don't want to know about !
>>
>>Ok, Curt, now you've done it. Let's hear it, just how do you recover data
>>via x-ray? This sounds good.
> 
> 
>  Never said it would be practical, and didn't mean to imply that it's
>  something in common use.
> 
>  One of the guys who works with me got his degree in chemistry,
>  and with specific experience in X-ray crystalography.
>  That's looking at molecules to determin their internal structure.
>  ( for his doctorate, the chemical bonds between specific atoms )
>  It is possible to look at the surface structure of a disk, and
>  determin the magnetic alignment of the individual molecules.
>  Once that data is collected, you then could reconstruct the magnetic
>  patterns of the disk surface, thence the data streams,
>  bit by miserable bit.
> 
>  Obviously, it would be a long, and tedious process.
>  If you'd even consider it, two things must be present:
>  1. The data is ridiculously important.
>  2. You have the budget of a government, at a minimum.
> 
>  More must be present for this to actually occur, such as the
>  availability of a research facility, at a minimum equal to,
>  or better than most major universities, people with experience
>  at that level, and a good deal of time and motivation.
> 
>  As I said, it *can be* a tool, not a common one.
> 
>  You may remember hearing that the Soviets at one time, in order
>  to protect really sensitive data would have disks ground into powder.
>  You don't have to go that far, but this is one reason why.
> 
>  Has it actually been done ?
>  Yes, but only as a demonstration "proof of concept" to the best of my
>  knowledge, on a very small "piece" of recorded material.
>  As such it "can be one of the more expensive tools" and probably
>  one of the most expensive tools "available" for anything !
>