Electro-magnetic pulse generator aka the "Raskat"

Raskat-Thumb
Interesting story about "The Curious Case of Dmitry Golubov" at Washington post's Security Fix. I'm not so interested in the cybercrime boss details - but this device called the "Raskat" - has anyone heard/seen this thing?

"As for his computer, he is right no evidence was found because he had cooked all of his loose media in a wok," Hilbert said. As for Golubov's computer hard drive? Hilbert said Golubov erased it with a type of electro-magnetic pulse generator known by its Russian name, "Raskat."

Golubov doesn't dispute that he owned a Raskat at the time, but he says he purchased it online to resell it at a local market for a tidy profit.

"In the past in Ukraine it was risky to keep all company contract and clients data on computers," Golubov said. "At first -- tax inspection can confiscate computers, at second -- competitors can stole them and take over businesses."

Golubov said it was members of the law enforcement task force who used the Raskat to fry the data on his hard drive.

Here's what is online:
Eraser.ru
Product page.




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Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: Senator Obviouser on April 1, 2008 at 10:08 AM

Remember kids:

If you haven't committed a crime you have nothing to hide.

Don't encrypt or destroy your data, thats what a terrorist would do!


Posted by: Old One on April 1, 2008 at 10:50 AM

Privacy is only for illegal activities?! I think not!

Wow, I know we are talking about another country here, but aren't you, in effect, criminalizing the Right to Privacy? Whether it's customer data or my laundry list, I've got a right to keep it private. (in the USA, hopefully after "W" is carted away)

Old One

P.S. The "Raskat" seems to be a bulk mag eraser, the type of which we used to bulk erase mag tapes in the good old days.


Posted by: Captian Obvious on April 1, 2008 at 10:59 AM

Much easier solution...

Don't have anything illegal on your computer.


Posted by: Phillip Torrone on April 1, 2008 at 11:02 AM

not always possible...

@Captian Obvious if you read the article it seems like legality didn't matter...

"In the past in Ukraine it was risky to keep all company contract and clients data on computers," Golubov said. "At first -- tax inspection can confiscate computers, at second -- competitors can stole them and take over businesses."


Posted by: Anonymous on April 1, 2008 at 1:13 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a strong degaussing coil do the same thing?


Posted by: Purduecer on April 1, 2008 at 3:30 PM

Cheaper Method

1) Remove Hard Drive from computer

2) Visit neighbor's house

3) Insert Hard Drive into Microwave

and

4) Claim it was a freak accident *shifty eyes*


Posted by: Degaussers on April 14, 2008 at 1:04 PM

Degaussers

Degaussing coils do indeed work, it's just a matter of field vs. coercivity of the platters. The toughest HDD's out there today are 5000 Oersted perpendicular media, requiring at least 7500 Gauss to erase the data. Not quite sure how this "Raskat" works, it just isn't big enough to house a coil of sufficient size along with the capacitors and other assorted electronics that go along with a pulse style degausser. By the way, "Purduecer", sticking a hard drive in the microwave will not alter the magnetic pattern on the drive platters, your data will still be recoverable.


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