HDD GURU FORUMS

I am a small time web designer in a small town and have been attacked many times and have suffered over $10,000 in damages due to a hacker who appears to have "Superior Talent" *Last night after waiting for my Mac computer to stop running for more than 45 min, I discovered that both of my Seagate USB HDs were completely shot and also my Hitachi as well.

I have everything on the Seagates including my ancestory files, client files and all that is important.... *Here's what I have done:

I opened the "Lacie enclosures and removed the Seagate drives.
I placed them in my (BlacX Sata Caddy) to see if they would work, but they did not.
As a result of placing them in my Sata Caddy which was powered on...... the HD's actually caused the Caddy to virtually turn off!
I then carefully removed the board from 2 HD's and placed only the boards into the Sata Caddy and again the caddy turn off indicating to me that my HD's motherboards were fried.

Question:
Can I get another board for my HD's and if so how do I go about it?
Second: *Would someone who knows about these kinds of things direct me with the right thing to do? *I would like to save the files and folders etc. *I believe, due to the nature of this attack that it is probably the MB that is fried rather than the HD itself.

I will offer $100 paid to a "Paypal Account" to the person who gets me in the "right direction" * * These attacks on my home and business are racial and very expensive. *So far I have lost..... 12 HD's ..... 2 iMacs (one was 27') *1 brand new Airport Extreme AC..... 1 Linksys E4500.... 1 Apple TV and Television. **

All of the above were either completely damaged beyond repair or electronically overwritten with some kind of script. *As far as the HD's are concerned........... 3 of them went in the same night even though only one was attached to the computer which indicates some sort of "script attack" to me. * My name is David Johnson, I am a Black Man from BC, Canada and this has been going on for over 7 years.

I was told by the Apple Store that the damage to my computer was in "no way related to any kind of HD failure" *but rather "Man Made" and it is the worst damage they have ever come across in their history. *In that case I was able to get the HD replaced free because it fell under the HD recall from Apple 2 years ago. *I tried to contact Seagate directly but there is no number or mail which seems to go to their HQ.*

I just can't afford more these days and I am out over $10,000 so far. * * *Someone's help would really be appreciated.
These HD's came with the Lacie USB Storage around 2- 3 years ago....... I need these drives!

djtherenovator@gmail.com

David

Hi David,

Since you are in Canada I'd recommend you contact Recovery Force: http://www.recoveryforce.com

Unfortunately many such attacks encrypt data, and make recovery impossible. However Luke over there should be able to quickly determine what attack method was used and hopefully get the data back for you.

@David, the physical damage to the HDDs is probably confined to TVS diodes. Normally this is a zero-cost DIY job. If you upload photos of your HDD PCBs, someone will be able to help you.

See http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/TVS_diode_FAQ.html

... and http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/ (photo clips)

Otherwise there is a company in Canada that provides replacement PCBs, including a firmware transfer, for US$50.

How would TVS be damaged by software?

Keatah wrote:How would TVS be damaged by software?

With great difficulty.

eugenejazzy wrote:I opened the "Lacie enclosures and removed the Seagate drives.
I placed them in my (BlacX Sata Caddy) to see if they would work, but they did not.
As a result of placing them in my Sata Caddy which was powered on...... the HD's actually caused the Caddy to virtually turn off!
I then carefully removed the board from 2 HD's and placed only the boards into the Sata Caddy and again the caddy turn off indicating to me that my HD's motherboards were fried.

Hello eugenejazzy,

contact Recovery Force: http://www.recoveryforce.com as data-medics suggest you and stop playing with drives.
You already fried MB as you mentioned, so iz would be cheaper to wisit pro data recovery service to do job for you.

All of the above were either completely damaged beyond repair or electronically overwritten with some kind of script. *As far as the HD's are concerned........... 3 of them went in the same night even though only one was attached to the computer which indicates some sort of "script attack" to me. * My name is David Johnson, I am a Black Man from BC, Canada and this has been going on for over 7 years.

There is something not quite right about this post.

I don't know if it is lack of credible details of actual hacks/scripts, far fetched theories, a story that doesn't seem right or just not relayed well.. but I find it hard to agree with it all. I also find it strange there was no mention of law enforcement, $10,000 is usually cause for a decent investigation, as is such a prolonged victimisation.

As far as the Racial part, this is a worldwide forum where the member talk with each other regardless of where we live or the colour we are. I am not sure why you felt you had to put it in, but I really hope it isn't as you say, and there is some other explanation.

Can you provide what makes you think it is a hacker, what scripts or malware has been found, or any other evidence of hackery? If there isn't any and you yourself are convinced that this is the case, it may be wise to also start looking at other scenarios such as power supply quality. I don't want you to prove to me it is true, that isn't my reason, but finding out more will help get to the bottom of it. There is no use getting all your stuff fixed and replaced if next month it is all killed again.

I was told by the Apple Store that the damage to my computer was in "no way related to any kind of HD failure" *but rather "Man Made" and it is the worst damage they have ever come across in their history. *In that case I was able to get the HD replaced free because it fell under the HD recall from Apple 2 years ago.

I can't imagine an Apple Store saying something like this. How is this quantified if the device / drive is just dead?

I will offer $100 paid to a "Paypal Account" to the person who gets me in the "right direction" * * These attacks on my home and business are racial and very expensive. *So far I have lost..... 12 HD's ..... 2 iMacs (one was 27') *1 brand new Airport Extreme AC..... 1 Linksys E4500.... 1 Apple TV and Television. **

The right direction is finding out what caused this specifically. just assuming there is "some kind of script" is in no way useful.

another thing I find weird is there is half a million hits on Google for replacing a hard drive board, and search on this forum, and

*I tried to contact Seagate directly but there is no number or mail which seems to go to their HQ.*

this page has plenty of contact info http://www.seagate.com/ca/en/contacts/

I am sorry if I come across as skeptical, but I think a lot more objective info is needed.

best of Luck

I agree with HaQue.

You do seem skeptical and so I cannot explain it any better than this.

First of all I didn't know that a hard drive could be fixed by anyone other than the manufacturer, and second, I seen the damage to my drives in 2 computer stores in 2 different instances where my files and folders were destroyed.
The Mac tech is a friend of mine as well as a certified Apple Tech and he knows his stuff. Regarding the 3 drives that went, "Only one was attached to the computer and the other 2 were on the shelf so it was not electrical but something else. Those other 2 disks were tested in another computer and did not work there as well. One thing for sure is when I have the drive attached and running it will start to run on its own with lights indicating that the HD is being accessed. Little snitch has info pointing to "red activity" which means that files are leaving my drive.

I and my wife have literally seen the mouse moving in the past on its own and actually open a file and at other times I have actually had to fight for position, indicating control of my mouse. The computer I am on right now is also plugged into the very same outlet so your electrical theory is incorrect. Furthermore, I am a contractor and have much knowledge about the electrical here as I did it myself and it was inspected. The last computer that I had destroyed was so far damaged that 2 techs came to the same conclusion in a very short period of time "Man Made Damage" These techs know their stuff and I have used them much. The only thing of note in regards to this situation is that I have installed Yosemite the day before but that does not explain why "only my 3 main working drives" which I use every day are no longer working.

The biggest test is that I removed the pcb's from the 3 HD's and plugged them into the Sata Caddy slot............. and the very same thing happen as when I placed the drive into the slot........."It turned the Drive off" indicating to me that the board is shot. All of the above does not explain how 2 of the drive which were not plugged in are also not working all of a sudden. Last notes: 1.) I have many drives "sata and ide" and all other satas are working fine in the very same enclosures that they above mentioned failed drives came from. 2.) The racial issue is real and unless you know about it,,,,,,,,, let it be. It would be best!


Thank you for responding!

Ps: I have contacted Seagate and others thanks to information recently gathered and the drives are being prepared for delivery to the repair facility. I will inform this forum of any relevant information pertaining to issue.

Hi David,

You do seem skeptical and so I cannot explain it any better than this.

I am not attacking you or your story, maybe it is the difference in location and the way you explain things is just different than what I am used to.

I like to quote what you said as it is easier to kind of answer and have a conversation, for me anyway, and it shows I did read each part of your post. it is very hard to gauge the "tone" of typed text, so I try not to, and some answers can be misinterpreted as personal attack, or you may think I don't understand an issue, when in fact I do etc etc.

I took the time to answer as If you are getting victimised, it is not right, and if people here can spot a way to help, this type of conversation might bring it to be.

First of all I didn't know that a hard drive could be fixed by anyone other than the manufacturer, and second, I seen the damage to my drives in 2 computer stores in 2 different instances where my files and folders were destroyed.
The Mac tech is a friend of mine as well as a certified Apple Tech and he knows his stuff. Regarding the 3 drives that went, "Only one was attached to the computer and the other 2 were on the shelf so it was not electrical but something else. Those other 2 disks were tested in another computer and did not work there as well. One thing for sure is when I have the drive attached and running it will start to run on its own with lights indicating that the HD is being accessed. Little snitch has info pointing to "red activity" which means that files are leaving my drive.

Ok, not knowing a HDD can be fixed, well we are all new sometime, lets leave that be, no problem.
You don't hear "files and folders destroyed" term very often, it is a very strange term to use. Corrupted, deleted, wiped, stolen, encrypted maybe. Possibly that's what you mean, but it isn't obvious. I am not sure what would cause an unconnected drive to be damaged, aside from electricity. maybe your Mac friend might like to join the discussion, as it may be helpful from a techs point of view. I am having trouble figuring if you mean the electronics are fried or if the files and folders are damaged or both.

I and my wife have literally seen the mouse moving in the past on its own and actually open a file and at other times I have actually had to fight for position, indicating control of my mouse. The computer I am on right now is also plugged into the very same outlet so your electrical theory is incorrect. Furthermore, I am a contractor and have much knowledge about the electrical here as I did it myself and it was inspected. The last computer that I had destroyed was so far damaged that 2 techs came to the same conclusion in a very short period of time "Man Made Damage" These techs know their stuff and I have used them much. The only thing of note in regards to this situation is that I have installed Yosemite the day before but that does not explain why "only my 3 main working drives" which I use every day are no longer working.

So after you saw the mouse moving, what was the course of action?
The electrical idea was just that, not a theory. I have seen many instances of people think they have been hacked or malware have taken over the system, and in some cases they have, but in others it was bad power supplies, bad drivers, installed programs crashing, windows corruption etc etc. All I am saying is keep an open mind. Until the malware is identified, or the hacking is verified, it is also just a theory.

Installing Yosamite may or may not be relevant, again we don't know, but a huge system change such as this is something to note.. one of the first questions in IT Tech (Which I have been for around 16 years) is "what have you changed recently?".

The biggest test is that I removed the pcb's from the 3 HD's and plugged them into the Sata Caddy slot............. and the very same thing happen as when I placed the drive into the slot........."It turned the Drive off" indicating to me that the board is shot. All of the above does not explain how 2 of the drive which were not plugged in are also not working all of a sudden.

It is worrying that you are performing these sorts of tests when you previously displayed little knowledge of PCBs and Hard disks. It is not "the biggest test" it is "a" test. The cable or caddy could be faulty and this may make any drive seem bad, or some of them, or damage drives. It is an unknown. The 2 drives HAD to be plugged in at some stage, otherwise you wouldn't know if they were working or not. Again, the culprit does not look like a hacker or malware to me.

2.) The racial issue is real and unless you know about it,,,,,,,,, let it be. It would be best!

I see no problem in discussing it, if it is a factor, then this must be identified for any solution to be forthcoming. I am old enough to have seen racism, and while I don't know your exact circumstance, if this is the case, then I am sorry for you, and I hope it can be resolved. I would urge you to contact whatever help you have available, authorities, other groups.. It needs to be stopped. While you are in the process of getting the seagates looked at, some advice is:
1. know your environment. This is the single most important factor in Information Security. Hackers will exploit things you have overlooked or might not know about. Tame a look at your IT setup and I would suggest some diagrams to map out your hardware, software, network incomings and outgoings. think of what software is talking to outside, updates, any communication software etc. and verify configuration.

If your network seems too complex for this, Then simplify it. It sounds a little like you have a bit on your plate, devices everywhere.
think of some networks such as the recent Saudi Aramco where they had 30,000 workstations wiped overnight... they were up and running in about a week.

Make syure all your devices have the latest firmware, especially the Linksys e4500. If no updates have been available for around 9 months, I would be wary of even using a device that doesn't get updated.. think Heartbleed, Shellshock, and what is it now.. poodle or something?
2. Try and find evidence of malware or these "scripts". Verify your power supply is fine, as you are not certain:

All of the above were either completely damaged beyond repair or electronically overwritten with some kind of script

In computing, you cannot make one assumption based on one other. Just because you cannot find an electrical issue does not mean a hacker. There are many possibilities. You may need someone to look over your hardware.

The last computer that I had destroyed was so far damaged that 2 techs came to the same conclusion in a very short period of time "Man Made Damage" These techs know their stuff and I have used them much.

I have seen many Techs appear to "know their stuff" Sadly not always the case. Some are very convincing. What did they think was the cause? what did they investigate? "Someone did something" is not a verdict in my opinion.

Again, I am very critical of this whole situation being hacker related.

For what it is worth this comes from growing up around the hacker scene and working in IT and computer security.

can you elaborate how the 27" iMac was "lost", as it appears to be just a hard disk as the fault?

Again, I am not being argumentative, just trying to draw out all the facts from opinions and emotion.

Best Regards

@eugenejazzy, an electrical contractor would be able to fix the PCBs without too much trouble, assuming the problem is what I think it is. A photo, or even a model number, would help.

haque,yea the recent was poodle vuln..@eugene, can you please eloborate more,what made you think that you have been attacked digitally here? what are the symptoms other than the mouse was moving by itself? Did you store any PNC file in your hard drive? if yes what it is related to?

eugenejazzy wrote:I will offer $100 paid to a "Paypal Account" to the person who gets me in the "right direction" * * These attacks on my home and business are racial and very expensive. *So far I have lost..... 12 HD's ..... 2 iMacs (one was 27') *1 brand new Airport Extreme AC..... 1 Linksys E4500.... 1 Apple TV and Television. **

If you are prepared to invest the time, and if you can use a multimeter, I will endeavour to help you to determine what actually happened to those devices ... free of charge.

If repairing HDD PCBs is beyond your capabilities, then the following company in BC, Canada should be able to provide replacement boards for US$50 each.

http://www.onepcbsolution.com
http://www.hdd-parts.com

did you make sure Seagate are aware, and have told you they understand, that you want your DATA back?

This reply is for all of you techs out there with some good advice.

I have contacted Seagate and they have given some advice regarding what to do to change the pcb boards here in BC. I have benn given advice from one of the pcb companies that this is not completely unusual at all and they have seen this more than one. One thing for sure ...this is not electrical and there" is nothing wrong with my Sata Caddy......I am using it with my other drives without any problem. As I wrote before "Only the drives I use for my business were hit and all of the rest were unaffected"

I will contact the last tech who replied when I formulate the question that I have and probably take your offer to guide me along as I will have some questions. First thing though, I am going to order 3 new pcb's and have the chips changed as was recommended by the HDD company that does this kind of work!

Once I have the boards replaced I will tell all what has happened since there seems to be much buzz here on this forum about this.

Until then, Thank you

David