Did you know that it's really hard to wipe an SSD or USB flash drive of data? The following quote is from a ComputerWorld article entitled "Can data stored on an SSD be secured?"
"USB flash drives didn't fare much better. Between 0.57% and 84.9% of the data remained on the drive after an overwrite was attempted."
Read the whole ComputerWorld article here.
The original research from UCSD is here.
If you really want to make sure the data on a flash drive is not recoverable, the most destructive method (available to most people) would be to remove the flash chips from the drive and grind them down with a shop grinder.
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It was just discussed here: https://portableapps.com/node/26883
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I just go into Disk Utility and hit "erase free space." It's that easy. I can overwrite it once, seven times, or 35 times.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
My use of Google indicates that I am insane.
And the *exact* same thing applies. Read the article.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
They said overwriting 20 times gets rid of 99% of the data. Overwriting an additional 15 times ought to get rid of that 1%. I think the most effective non-destructive method would be to overwrite it 35 times, reformat it 2 or 3 times each in a different format, than erase the volume and create a new one. Then, for added security, soak the thing in acid to destroy the contacts, and encase it in solid metal.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
My use of Google indicates that I am insane.
...and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighters.
(with apologies to Douglas Adams)