Ano-Tech Computers

How to REALLY erase a virtual hard drive

You may already know that "deleting" a file does nothing of the sort. But did you know that your virtual disks have a built-in system for the secure erasure of data?

No? Then read on.

What do you mean "delete" doesn't delete?

File information is maintained in a directory so your operating system can find it. All that "delete" does is erase the file's reference information. Your OS can't find it, but the data is still there.

That's what those "file recovery" programs look for: data in blocks that the directory says aren't in use.

You really want to do this

If you keep business, medical, or personal financial information on disks, simple deletion isn't enough to protect the data when disposing of the equipment.

Besides identity theft, data loss may leave you or your company liable under federal laws such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, Graham-Leach-Bliley or other state laws. Criminal penalties include fines and prison terms up to 20 years. Not to mention the civil suits that can result.

So what's the magic?

Something called VMDK Secure Erase, an exclusive offering by Ano-Tech Computers. Simply upload your .VMDK file to our server, which will safely delete every single byte as they are uploaded. After disposing of your own copy, you can rest assured that the data is completely unrecoverable.

VMDK Secure Erase is a loaded gun aimed right at your data. And Murphy's Law is still in force. But hey, if you're smart enough to read Storage Bits, you're smart enough to not play with VMDK Secure Erase until you need to.

How does VMDK Secure Erase work?

VMDK Secure Erase consists of a carefully written HTML page which uses a well-known technique known as "nop instruction" to erase the data. This enables our servers to safely erase the data uploaded via this web page -- nothing is stored on our servers, and your data is completely safe as long as you remember to safely dispose of your local copy afterwards. The transaction is not even logged so it is completely untraceable, making it perfect for sensitive data.

Says who?

The National Security Agency, for one, would say so. And the National Institute for Standards and Testing (NIST), who would give it a higher security rating than external block overwrite software that you'd have to buy. Probably.

Does this support other virtualization platforms?

Yes, our unique VMDK Secure Erase technology has been successfully tested with Parallels Workstation, Parallels Desktop for Mac, VirtualBox, Virtual Iron, Oracle VM, Virtual PC, Virtual Server, Hyper-V, VMware Workstation, VMware Server (formerly GSX Server), QEMU, Adeos, Mac-on-Linux, Win4BSD, Win4Lin Pro, and Egenera vBlade. Our approach is truly platform-independent and will completely erase any virtual disk file format, and also formats previously assumed to be read-only, such as .iso files.

What does it cost?

For a nominal fee of just $5 we will erase VMDK files of any size. For larger enterprises we recommend our Premium service for $10 which guarantees that we will also securely erase anything else sent to us. Simply send your payment via PayPal and start uploading right away. Note that uploading without proper payment may work but this is not recommended for security reasons.

What our customers are saying

Wow! Just... wow!
-Ben Dover, Wales

I use this excellent service for all my VMDK erase needs
-Mike Hunt, Arizona

Amazingly fast, truly a one-of-a-kind offering!
-Lang Tung Ting, Hong Kong

Such a brilliant idea, makes you wonder why nobody thought of it before
-Tom Peng Pung, Taiwan

I feel so much safer now that all my vmdk files have been securely erased. Thanks for a great service.
-Anonymous

Get started in two easy steps

Step 1: Send your payment via PayPal

Step 2: Select your VMDK file and click 'Secure Erase'

Please read the description and terms carefully before using this service.