Disk Verifier has been released!
This is the big announcement I hinted at earlier this year :). But what is Disk Verifier? Well, it’s an add-on to Parted Magic’s Secure Erase GUI, that allows you to wipe and then verify that your disks have been wiped in compliance with the NIST 800-88 specification. While commercial, it is developed in line with the free (as in freedom) software ethic, and is as such released under the GNU GPLv3 like my other programs. It is also inexpensive.
What is NIST 800-88?
It’s a data security standard relating to sanitisation of disks. Using a 3rd-party tool to verify that your disks have been sanitised/wiped correctly helps to comply with the standard – the idea is that the tool you wiped the disk with may have lied about fully wiping it, so if you use a verifier tool from a different source you can be more confident that the job was done properly.
What features does it have?
In its initial release, Disk Verifier simply integrates with Parted Magic’s Secure Erase GUI to provide an alternative, NIST 800-88 complaint means of wipe verification. It integrates seamlessly with Parted Magic. However, I do have some extra features I plan to release in the not-too-distant future, so keep an eye out!
How do I download Disk Verifier?
To be ultra-clear, in case you didn’t read the rest of this post so far, Disk Verifier is commercial software and is for sale. However, it is still open-source and available under the GNU GPLv3, just like my other programs. It is also reasonably priced, and can be bought for £3 at the time of writing, which is around US $4. In order to use Disk Verifier in its current form, you will need to purchase Parted Magic from www.partedmagic.com.
You can purchase Disk Verifier from my website at www.hamishmb.com/html/diskverifier.php.
Summary
Disk Verifier is my first commercial product, and it is now up for sale! Please note, I have no intention of stopping work on my other free (as in freedom as well as money) products, and they will remain up for free download :).
There are some new and different posts coming up, so stay tuned. First we shall end the Linux-programs-on-Windows saga with the Windows Subsystem for Linux video, and from there, who knows?
Hamish
I have downloaded your software and it did not work at all as advertised. I have downloaded the Disk Verifier Live Disk , create the boot USB but when I run it I did not get any GUI and any verification. I have tried to register into your forum twice but I never got the activation email (used different emails just to ensure it was not a filter in one of my emails). It sounds like a promising little program and it would meet my needs, but there is no documentation available either. What support can you provide to people like me?
Sounds like I’m having a problem with the email settings again – I’ll have a look.
What username did you use? I will activate you manually. After that, it’s probably easiest to continue this discussion on the forum – this could become complicated. Sorry about this.
Hamish
Hi, Can you please complete guide how to install and use this software.
Need more info like sample video with how to install
If you’re talking about the Parted Magic module, there are some instructions available at: https://partedmagic.com/adding-programs/.
The live disk can just be written to a CD/DVD, or a USB stick using standard tools like k3b or Rufus.
I fully intend to make some blog posts and videos about this soon, and I will reply again here when I have done this.
Hi Hamish,
I hope to buy the Disk Verifier along with Parted Magic. But I do have a small question. Can I verify any number of disks with one purchase? Let’s say I am going to wipe 50 machines per year and can I still verify all the 50 machines using a one purchase of Disk Verifier?
Thank You Very Much in Advance.
Hi,
Yes, you can verify as many disks as you like – there is no limit.
Hamish