That would break any cached lookups (which most OSes and applications have done for eons), local host file records (granted, they could be compromised), and access by direct IP address.

It's not a half bad idea for systems in hostile environments. The problem is... no firewall in existance can do this out of the box. (it could be rigged up for a few of them.)

Indeed. In the US, the .gov set aside $400m(?) from which telcos could request funds for upgrades to be CALEA compliant. Many telco's, having never been ordered for a tap, ignored the requirement. The telco I worked for was gambling on a) never getting an order, and b) being able to milk the 60day(?) provisioning process to add CALEA support when and where necessary. They got zero financial assistance from the .gov. (CALEA was an add-on to other hardware/software upgrades.) [That would've been an expensive mistake as it took ~6 months to actually do the upgrades. If they did get an order, they'd have to call me to remind them how to do it -- noone access those screens often enough to remember the proceedures]

Pretty much any telco gear on the market today will have CALEA support built into it. Even Cisco IOS has CALEA facilities in it -- for network and VoIP taps. (I've never played with it, 'tho. AT&T 5ESS's were enough of a headache.)

Factory refurbs are 99% automated... it only takes a human to load/unload the test module. If it passes, it's relabeled and sold. Fails get thrown in a bin for recycling.

Nope... that's an "open(ed) box" item.

Exactly. If it still has data on it, it wasn't refurbished. Any proper refurb will "factory" low-level format the drive. This clears all the accumulated run-time stats, zeros the entire platter, rewrites all the tracking information, and rewrites the stored firmware. (ie. it takes vendor specific, proprietary tools.)

A drive that still has data on it is a "working pull".

Depending on the drive, degausing it will very likely destroy it, by erasing the factory formated tracking information and firmware. (the same is true of an LTO tape... "bulk erasure" will destroy the tracking information.)

The read/write heads on a hard drive create a *very* powerful magnetic field. It's just over a very, very tiny area. See Also: The MythBusters episode where they try to erase a credit card mag-stripe.

Mildly radioactive, but still *highly* toxic. (and as others have said, far more valuable and rare.)

lol. A screw driver hammered into the side of the column is a dead giveaway. I had the switch housing (clamshell crimped together, really crappy) come apart in my old ford tempo. A few hours with a bag a zip ties...

It was even easier with even older cars that had the switch on the dash. Reach under the dash, one yank, and Bob's your uncle! *whistles innocently*

Heh. The key there... a cellphone is a tracking device. Granted, tower triangulation isn't going to tell what seat you're in.

You won't believe it until you see it with your own eyes -- in person. (you're doing exactly what the ignition switch does, just without the key... turn the ignition on, pulse the starter.)