WGB, I think you need to get your security department to explain exactly what they would like the database to achieve, but I think the answer is a) when you update a blob the data for the old blob is still in the file until some unspecified future time - it's just a little harder to get at b) that's the way it works with all the other data in the database, though the specific mechanism are different, so why are they worrying about blobs in particular Of course there's always the reverse question - why is your security department so keen to destroy the audit trail ? ;) Regards Jonathan Lewis http://jonathanlewis.wordpress.com/all-postings Author: Oracle Core (Apress 2011) http://www.apress.com/9781430239543 ----- Original Message ----- From: <wblanchard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2013 4:36 AM Subject: Overwriting/deleting blobs | | Greetings, | | I've been asked by our security department if there's a way to overwrite a | blob in the database but I don't know of any way to do it. I asked my | trusted coworker Google if there was a way to do it but he didn't have any | good ideas either. I would love to ask Oracle but this app didn't think | purchasing support from Oracle was important. So, I come to the most | knowledgable DBAs in the world to ask for help. | | Something tells me that it's not just as easy as inserting a new blob in | the table as I would guess that it would have to be the exact same size as | the current blob. Also, could I guarantee that it would be placed in the | exact same blocks/segments that the current blob is in. | | So, is there a way to "securely" overwrite/delete the current blob? What | are my options, if any. | | | Thank you, | | WGB | | -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l