Many enterprises adopt physical destruction methods like drilling holes in hard drives as a quick disposal solution. While visually satisfying, the effectiveness depends on:

• Drill location relative to platters
• Number of holes drilled
• Drive technology (HDD vs. SSD)

# Example forensic recovery attempt on drilled drive
import pytsk3
try:
    img_info = pytsk3.Img_Info("/dev/sdb")
    volume_system = pytsk3.Volume_Info(img_info)
    print("Partitions found:", [part.addr for part in volume_system])
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Recovery failed: {str(e)}")

Modern hard drives store data in sectors across multiple platters. A single drill hole typically:

• Affects ≈12-15% of platter surface area
• Leads to ≈30-40% recoverable data in lab conditions

For companies handling sensitive data, consider these verified methods:

# Secure wipe using dd (Linux)
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX bs=1M status=progress

# Using shred (multiple passes)
shred -v -n 3 -z /dev/sdX

The most thorough disposal process combines:

1. Full cryptographic erase (for SSDs)
2. Single-pass overwrite (for HDDs)
3. Controlled physical destruction

For large-scale operations, consider:

• Degaussing equipment (for magnetic media)
• Industrial shredders (particle size <2mm)
• Automated wiping stations with audit trails

Modern hard drives store data on magnetic platters in concentric tracks. Each bit's magnetic orientation represents 1 or 0. When drilling through a drive, you're physically disrupting these platters, but the extent of damage determines recoverability:

// Simplified representation of platter geometry
struct Platter {
    int tracks;
    int sectorsPerTrack;
    double platterDiameter; // Typically 2.5" or 3.5"
    bool isDamaged;
};

A single drill hole may not be sufficient because:

• Data recovery labs can read around damaged areas
• Modern drives use error correction algorithms (ECC) that may reconstruct partial data
• Multiple platters may mean undamaged surfaces remain

For guaranteed destruction, consider these approaches:

// Pseudo-code for physical destruction verification
bool isDriveDestroyed(HDD drive) {
    return (
        drive.platters.all(p => p.isShattered) ||
        drive.controllerBoard.isMelted ||
        drive.hasMultiplePenetrations(3)
    );
}

For enterprise environments with sensitive data:

1. Perform a single-pass wipe using:

dban -autonuke

2. Then apply physical destruction with:
• Minimum 3 drill holes through different platters
• Or use a hydraulic press to bend the drive chassis

Different standards require different methods:

• NIST 800-88: Accepts cryptographic erase or physical destruction
• DoD 5220.22-M: Requires multiple overwrite passes
• HIPAA: Doesn't specify methods but holds you accountable for results