Could an EMP wipe a HDD?

Still watching Jericho (after finding about it in this thread, yeah I know it's predictable and some of the characters are shallow, but there's nothing better on the tube), and I was thinking of an EMP's effects on a HDD.

I couldn't find anything relevant with Google (bizarre enough).

So could an EMP erase or modify the data on magentic platters? An EMP works by inducing a current, but the platters in a HDD are isolated I thought (and made of glass anyway), but I guess an EMP would easily render a solid-state HDD a doorstop. And of course, optical storage is safe, but what about Magneto-Optical storage?

Questions, questions Anyone here done an MSc in Physics who might know the answer?

What... exactly are you planning to do with this info?

Because your country lies close to mine (Belgium), I must ask you: whatever you do, don't point it in our direction.

I saw a programme on television where they used EMP to effectively destroy the computer. (There is a special test facility in the UK somewhere). I'm pretty sure you could wipe the data; this link should help (well it might):

[Link]

I have heard others talking about this being an option, although they were also saying it might put the hard-drive out of action permanently.

Angus Higgins

Maybe?  I don't have a masters in physics, but I'll offer some speculation.  If the magnetic substrate is conductive, you may end up with an affect similar to what happens to a CD in a microwave {http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3587466534692702285}

(try at your own risk, and make sure you put a glass of water in there if you don't want to fry your microwave, and stop before it burns, unlike the folks that made that google video). 

Now whether it would magnetically wipe the data is another question, but a strong EMP could cook all of the IC's in the hard drive, making it useless anyways.

Hi Guys,

Well I don't have an MSc in Physics, but I do have a 1st Class Honours in Theoretical Physics albeit 24 Years ago ....

My recollections are that the EMP spike is so intense even more so than lightening that if any substance is remotely conductive, the chances are EMP will have an effect (normally bad) on it.  The better the conductivity obviously the higher the current induced in it and the more potential for damage is possible.  

However ... Never forget the protective effect of the Faraday Cage.  If you hear some EMP is heading your way ... quickly shut down your PC, build yourself a box out of the smallest wire mesh you can find and make sure you securely earth it. Put the computer inside it and your whole computer will be fine.  The key is the fact that no conductor touches the computer or breaks the barrier. 

Having a metal case around a HDD is not protective enough, you have conductors breaking the barrier so yes your HDD will in all likelyhood be fried/wiped. 

Mind you if we have to worry about EMP, the last thing I'd be concerned about is my bloomin' HDD ...

davemc said:

Hi Guys,

Well I don't have an MSc in Physics, but I do have a 1st Class Honours in Theoretical Physics albeit 24 Years ago ....

My recollections are that the EMP spike is so intense even more so than lightening that if any substance is remotely conductive, the chances are EMP will have an effect (normally bad) on it.  The better the conductivity obviously the higher the current induced in it and the more potential for damage is possible.  

However ... Never forget the protective effect of the Faraday Cage.  If you hear some EMP is heading your way ... quickly shut down your PC, build yourself a box out of the smallest wire mesh you can find and make sure you securely earth it. Put the computer inside it and your whole computer will be fine.  The key is the fact that no conductor touches the computer or breaks the barrier. 

Having a metal case around a HDD is not protective enough, you have conductors breaking the barrier so yes your HDD will in all likelyhood be fried/wiped. 

Mind you if we have to worry about EMP, the last thing I'd be concerned about is my bloomin' HDD ...

I think the question is valid and not only for military action related EMP. With the sun entering a solar flare peak there is a chance for EMP damage. For myself if this does happen I would hope I can keep all my family photos, files ,etc. An EMP pulse need not be the end of the world or the country. It could happen and the country could recover.

For that matter I wonder if the available backup services (Amazon offers one) have safeguards against EMP?

Tim 1967 said:

davemc said:

*snip*

I think the question is valid and not only for military action related EMP. With the sun entering a solar flare peak there is a chance for EMP damage. For myself if this does happen I would hope I can keep all my family photos, files ,etc. An EMP pulse need not be the end of the world or the country. It could happen and the country could recover.

For that matter I wonder if the available backup services (Amazon offers one) have safeguards against EMP?

There is that "milspec" for things like laptops. Would that not include some EMP protection? And not just hot, cold, etc.

TommyCarlier said:

Because your country lies close to mine (Belgium), I must ask you: whatever you do, don't point it in our direction.

I think that testing an EMP device in Belgium would be a valid scientific test. We could also try this in other member states with largers devices and use the UK as the control.

Tim 1967 said:

davemc said:

*snip*

I think the question is valid and not only for military action related EMP. With the sun entering a solar flare peak there is a chance for EMP damage. For myself if this does happen I would hope I can keep all my family photos, files ,etc. An EMP pulse need not be the end of the world or the country. It could happen and the country could recover.

For that matter I wonder if the available backup services (Amazon offers one) have safeguards against EMP?

With the sun entering a solar flare peak there is a chance for EMP damage.

For satellites, yes. The atmosphere and the Earth's magnetic field are a pretty good shield against solar radiation, so you really needn't be concerned about solar flares affecting your PC.

Also, an EMP won't penetrate a Faraday's cage, so shielding against it is not exactly difficult.

Sven Groot said:

Tim 1967 said:

*snip*

For satellites, yes. The atmosphere and the Earth's magnetic field are a pretty good shield against solar radiation, so you really needn't be concerned about solar flares affecting your PC.

Also, an EMP won't penetrate a Faraday's cage, so shielding against it is not exactly difficult.

This thread's nearly 2 years old now, ho-hum.

On to more practical considerations, do datacentre cages or enclosed racks count as Faraday Cages and protect the servers contained within if there's no conductive contact between the servers and the rack?

W3bbo said:

Sven Groot said:

*snip*

This thread's nearly 2 years old now, ho-hum.

On to more practical considerations, do datacentre cages or enclosed racks count as Faraday Cages and protect the servers contained within if there's no conductive contact between the servers and the rack?

Good Q....

I do know that the "old skool" US telephone "CO's" used to be built to withstand some level of a Nuke blast I do not know if they still do that.  recall that before the AT&T break up they had a Goverment mandate etc...

I have been in one or two CO's and they were built like an Armory, thick walls and doors lots of steel and concreete... and I do recall a mesh barrier in some areas...

figuerres said:

W3bbo said:

*snip*

Good Q....

I do know that the "old skool" US telephone "CO's" used to be built to withstand some level of a Nuke blast I do not know if they still do that.  recall that before the AT&T break up they had a Goverment mandate etc...

I have been in one or two CO's and they were built like an Armory, thick walls and doors lots of steel and concreete... and I do recall a mesh barrier in some areas...

All the datacentres I've been in are your usual IBM-esque ranks-in-a-white-room scenario (well, and 2 racks-on-carpet-with-consumer-aircon setups).

I've seen one datacentre with cages in the server room, but that was there for security: they sublet space out to customer-facing companies that are responsible for renting out space on racks. It wasn't a total-surround rack, just from the floors to the walls.

W3bbo said:

figuerres said:

*snip*

All the datacentres I've been in are your usual IBM-esque ranks-in-a-white-room scenario (well, and 2 racks-on-carpet-with-consumer-aircon setups).

I've seen one datacentre with cages in the server room, but that was there for security: they sublet space out to customer-facing companies that are responsible for renting out space on racks. It wasn't a total-surround rack, just from the floors to the walls.

yeah it depends on who built it and what budget....

I have seen plenty fo the kinds you mention... 

W3bbo said:

Sven Groot said:

*snip*

This thread's nearly 2 years old now, ho-hum.

On to more practical considerations, do datacentre cages or enclosed racks count as Faraday Cages and protect the servers contained within if there's no conductive contact between the servers and the rack?

Actually... if you're using magnetic storage, the EMP would demagnetize it and destroy the data to a certain degree. It would also degrade any type of data storage and electronic devices that would countain inductive elements, because the usual current used to store or modify data is very low, and the inducted impulse on the other hand would be very high.

If you have a completely sealed rack, with enough isolated layers of inductive materials, your hardware is safe, except for the wires leading to elsewhere. Best practice to protect from electromagnetic impulses would be using surge protected network  and power units, and then sealing the walls (and maybe doors) of the datacenter with about 100 thin 1/64" isolated layers of iron. However, that's expensive, and sealing the walls after your house has been built is even more expensive. If you're planning a war... maybe a good idea though.