4 ms·

Safest way is to hack the SSD/HDD firmware, make it report its size half. Depending on some condition, make it use the selected half. (ex: some byte in first se

Safest way is to hack the SSD/HDD firmware, make it report its size half. Depending on some condition, make it use the selected half. (ex: some byte in first sector, some ATA command)

flyGuyOnTheSly 7y ago
And when they pull the hdd and realize it says 512gb when you're only showing 256gb?
- Someone1234 7y ago
  Replacing a SSD's sticker doesn't seem particularly challenging relative to modifying the firmware to misreport but make available storage.
threatofrain 7y ago
Any entity big enough to seize your laptop for analysis is also going to be able to look up the specification for any particular part in your laptop, and eventually this portion of the cat and mouse game will end.
- ArchReaper 7y ago
  That's definitely not true, the article mentioned people traveling between countries - TSA/border patrol/airport police aren't going to send your laptop over to the NSA/KGB to have it cracked by an expert. That being said, actually encrypting the data is way more secure than fucking with HD self-reporting.
  - johnlorentzson 7y ago
    If you go so far as to modify the hard drive firmware, you probably already use full-disk encryption.
- Someone1234 7y ago
  That's predicated on an all knowing adversary with unlimited time and budget. In other words it is a largely fictional problem. Most of the people we're talking about just run off the shelf forensics software and have minimum actual expertise (the government doesn't pay well enough for legitimate experts doing it by hand). But then again, very few people are crazy enough to modify computer hardware to protect their information. So both sides of this coin might be largely fictional.
  - threatofrain 7y ago
    Are most people getting their laptops seized?
    - Someone1234 7y ago
      A international borders? It isn't at all uncommon. I've had my electronics searched before.
      - jedieaston 7y ago
        Out of curiosity, if you’re comfortable saying, what country was it and were you a citizen there? I’m always curious what the breakdown is.
    - easytiger 7y ago
      Entering the USA you can be required to hand over details of social media accounts etc on your ESTA. Pretty horrid stuff.
  - joe_g_young 7y ago
    I heard of a story of an SD card purchased from china that did not have the disk space specified. In fact, the card would continue to over write the contents without reporting full.

Safest way is to hack the SSD/HDD firmware, make it report its size half. Depending on some condition, make it use the selected half. (ex: some byte in first sector, some ATA command)

flyGuyOnTheSly 7y ago

And when they pull the hdd and realize it says 512gb when you're only showing 256gb?

Someone1234 7y ago
Replacing a SSD's sticker doesn't seem particularly challenging relative to modifying the firmware to misreport but make available storage.

threatofrain 7y ago

Any entity big enough to seize your laptop for analysis is also going to be able to look up the specification for any particular part in your laptop, and eventually this portion of the cat and mouse game will end.

ArchReaper 7y ago
That's definitely not true, the article mentioned people traveling between countries - TSA/border patrol/airport police aren't going to send your laptop over to the NSA/KGB to have it cracked by an expert. That being said, actually encrypting the data is way more secure than fucking with HD self-reporting.
- johnlorentzson 7y ago
  If you go so far as to modify the hard drive firmware, you probably already use full-disk encryption.
Someone1234 7y ago
That's predicated on an all knowing adversary with unlimited time and budget. In other words it is a largely fictional problem. Most of the people we're talking about just run off the shelf forensics software and have minimum actual expertise (the government doesn't pay well enough for legitimate experts doing it by hand). But then again, very few people are crazy enough to modify computer hardware to protect their information. So both sides of this coin might be largely fictional.
- threatofrain 7y ago
  Are most people getting their laptops seized?
  - Someone1234 7y ago
    A international borders? It isn't at all uncommon. I've had my electronics searched before.
    - jedieaston 7y ago
      Out of curiosity, if you’re comfortable saying, what country was it and were you a citizen there? I’m always curious what the breakdown is.
  - easytiger 7y ago
    Entering the USA you can be required to hand over details of social media accounts etc on your ESTA. Pretty horrid stuff.
- joe_g_young 7y ago
  I heard of a story of an SD card purchased from china that did not have the disk space specified. In fact, the card would continue to over write the contents without reporting full.