SecureWipe: Cross-Platform Secure Data Wiping Solution

Overview

SecureWipe is an open-source, cross-platform data wiping system focused on verifiable and standards-compliant data erasure across a wide range of storage devices.

It supports HDDs, SSDs, NVMe drives, removable USB storage, and Android devices, and is designed to perform complete, irreversible data destruction, not just filesystem-level deletion.

SecureWipe runs on a 64-bit Tiny Core Linux base to keep the environment minimal, fast, and hardware-tolerant, making it usable on both modern systems and older machines without relying on vendor-specific tooling.

The project follows NIST SP 800-88 data sanitization guidelines and produces cryptographically verifiable wipe records that can be audited or validated later. These records support reproducible erasure workflows, compliance verification, and responsible device reuse or disposal.

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Key Features

• Full Disk Wipe — ATA Secure Erase for HDDs, NVMe Secure Erase for SSDs

• Android Wipe — Automated ADB + Fastboot reset for complete data removal

• USB Wipe — File-system signature wiping using the dd protocol

• Tamper-Proof Certificates — Verifiable proof of secure erasure

• Offline Operation — Works entirely without internet access

• Lightweight — Tiny Core Linux base for minimal system resource usage

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Installation & Usage Guide

For Windows Users

Step 1 — Download Files

1. Visit the official SecureWipe website.

2. Download the latest SecureWipe ISO file.

Step 2 — Create a Bootable USB with Rufus

1. Download and install Rufus.

2. Insert a USB drive (minimum 4 GB).

3. Open Rufus and configure:

• Device: Select your USB drive

• Boot selection: Choose the downloaded SecureWipe.iso

• Partition scheme: Choose MBR (Legacy BIOS) or GPT (UEFI) based on your device.

4. Click Start and wait for Rufus to finish creating the bootable USB.

Step 3 — Boot into SecureWipe

1. Insert the USB drive into the target computer.

2. Restart and open the boot menu (F12, Esc, or Del depending on the system).

3. Select your USB device to boot into SecureWipe.

Step 4 — Start Wiping

Once the SecureWipe interface loads, select an option:

• Wipe Internal Disk (HDD/NVMe)

• Wipe USB Devices

• Wipe Android Devices

Follow the on-screen prompts. After completion, SecureWipe automatically generates a wipe certificate which will be stored on the Pendrive.

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For Linux Users

Option 1 — Using the ISO File

1. Download the SecureWipe.iso file.

2. Identify your USB drive (e.g., /dev/sdb).

3. Use the dd command to make a bootable USB:

sudo dd if=SecureWipe.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

Replace /dev/sdX with your actual USB device path (not a partition like /dev/sdb1). Reboot your system and select the USB device from the boot menu.

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Option 2 — Using the .deb Package

Download the securewipe.deb package from the official website. Install it using:

sudo dpkg -i securewipe.deb
sudo apt-get install -f

Launch SecureWipe with:

securewipe

Follow the interface to securely wipe supported devices.

For Android devices:

• Enable USB Debugging in Developer Options before connecting.
• Ensure the phone is properly recognized by ADB.

Wipe Certificates

After each successful operation, SecureWipe creates a digital wipe certificate that includes:

• Device name and serial number
• Wipe timestamp
• Wipe method (ATA, NVMe, ADB, or dd)
• Verification checksum
• Operator ID (if configured)

These certificates act as tamper-proof audit records, providing verifiable proof of data erasure for organizations and compliance audits.

!!! Important Notes

• All data will be permanently erased. Back up any critical data before proceeding.
• Use SecureWipe only on devices you own or are authorized to wipe.
• Some older HDDs may not support ATA Secure Erase commands. Guttman method will be employed which may take some time.