I use ATA secure erase
<https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase>; I activate it
with hdparm from a live usb drive (you may need to install hdparm). I do
not know if ATA secure erase is supported by the mini bios and drive.
Many bioses I have seen that freeze security can be unfrozen with a
suspend/resume cycle.
ATA secure erase is fast, optimised for the drive, and can also erase
unallocated blocks that are not visible to the operating system
(especially those on SSDs). No HDD can be fully overwritten in two
minutes. Enhanced erase may offer more protection, but you are at the
mercy of the HDD vendor implementation. I also encrypt all my drives.
If you need to protect against an attacker willing to examine your HDD
with magnetic force microscopy, there is no substitute for physical
destruction of the media.
Kind regards,
--
Ben Caradoc-Davies <b...@transient.nz>
Director
Transient Software Limited <https://transient.nz/>
New Zealand
