Tip of the Day: Destroying Optical Media

Another tidbit I’ve picked up from reading Bruce Schneier’s “on Security” was how to destroy optical media (cd’s, dvd’s).  Usually I crack them in half or scratch them with a sharp object.

It turns out another method is to place them in the microwave for 3-5 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave).

Good Backup Practice: I used to store all of my onsite/offsite backups on CDs and DVDs.  I’ve been sorting through all my backups and moving them into TrueCrypt containers and re-burning the data while being sure to destroy the unencrypted copies.