There’s a trick to thoroughly wiping all your data before you junk your old external solid state drive—or even computer.

You are on a U.S. military aircraft, transporting hard drives with important, classified information, when you collide with another plane and are forced to land near an enemy intelligence agency.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Even when an old computer won’t start up anymore, the hard drive ...