Permanent data stored only on HDD's?

[snootalope]

I've got a few server we don't use anymore and I'm looking to get rid of them. I'm not giving any of the hard drives away with them, just the boxes with their raid controllers, memory, batteries, etc. Just no hdd's. So, my question is, is there anyway what so ever that someone could pull data or any kind of info tied to what we've done on it in the past without the hdd's? Can anything possibly be stored in the memory (dimms) or raid controllers (battery backed), etc?

Any extra precautions I should consider?

 

[Sympology]

In theory yes....
In practice no.



Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

 

[flyboytim]

Only if removable storage is accidentally left in the box - a backup cd-r, memory stick, floppy, tape, or usb storage etc.

The only other persistent memory is in the CMOS BIOS where there may be passwords/usernames, which should be removed before passing on in order to make the BIOS accessible to the new user if the boxes are to be recycled via a charity etc.

Any security marking features like smart water etc, make hardware difficult to pass on in this way.

 

[mscallisto]

My past company was extremely strict and cautious about server disposal. We never had to do more than suggested above.

sam

 

[snootalope]

I was thinking about just destroying all it myself, but they're still good servers and I'm sure someone could really use them. We never set any bios passwords so that should be good.

mscallisto, what else did you have to do?

 

[xwb]

Trying to retrieve data from dynamic RAM is extremely difficult if it has been switched off for long enough. Anyway, with the amount of swapping most machines to nowadays, you probably won't get a lot.

My company just replaces the disks with new or blankoed ones (MOD approved program for wiping disks).

 

[mscallisto]

we simply had to remove and destroy HD's and make certain no storage devices of any kind were left behind.

we did remove some RAM simply for re-use if needed.

we checked for any password info written under keyboards, monitors etc.

other than that they were good to give away.

we also never used bios passwords.

 

[xwb]

The ones you want to watch out for are the burnt out ones with dodgy power supplies. Very often, the disks are not removed. Those are the ones that make the press.

If you're chopping up a disk, remove the magnets. They're absolutely amazing toys - highly magnetized on one side, not magnetic attraction on the other. They're really strong too - I got a blue-black pinch from 2 of those magnets snapping together. Great for removing nails from my wood burning stove.