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Comparing Secure Data Destruction
Comparison Chart of Data Destruction Methods
Method |
Level of Security |
Pro's |
Con's |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATERIAL DESTRUCTION COMPLETELY DESTROYS THE DEVICE AND MEDIA INTO PARTICLE BITS ABOUT 1mm IN SIZE. TERMS USED: PULVERIZING, INCINERATING, AND REFINING. |
THIS IS THE MOST CERTAIN FORM OF MEDIA SANITATION. AFTER DESTRUCTION THEY ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO USE. |
THIS IS THE TOP LEVEL OF SECURITY AND MEANS RECOVERING DATA IS IMPOSSIBLE. LARGE AND DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF DATA CAN BE PROCESSED AND DESTROYED RELATIVELY QUICKLY. |
COMPLIANCE REGULATIONS DICTATE FIRST ELECTRONIC PURGING FOR DOCUMENTATION PURPOSES THE DRIVE IS THEN UNUSABLE. SPECIAL SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL, TRACKING, AND DISPOSITION REQUIREMENTS. |
| FIRMWARE
SECURITY ERASE OR PURGE. |
THIS PROCESS IS GIVEN THE HIGHEST SECURITY RATING WHEN NOT DESTROYING THE HARD DRIVE |
DOING IT THIS WAY DOES NOT DESTROY THE DRIVE. THEREFORE THE DRIVE IS REMARKETABLE. ON SITE SANITATION IS POSSIBLE. USES LESS ENERGY AND IS MORE GREEN. MUCH FASTER THAN OTHER SOFTWARE MEANS. IS COMPLETELY CERTIFIABLE. IS COMPLETELY AUDITABLE. |
FOR THIS SOLUTION SOMETIMES REMOVING THE DRIVE PHYSICALLY FROM THE PC IS REQUIRED. |
| OVERWRITING
WITH SOFTWARE IS CALLED CLEARING. USING SOFTWARE TO CLEAR MEANS THAT THE DRIVE IS OVERWRITTEN WITH 0'S AND 1'S AT LEAST THREE TIMES PER THE OLD DOD STANDARD. RECENTLY THE SEVEN TIMES OVERWRITE IS THE NEW STANDARD FOR THIS TYPE OF METHOD. |
PER NIST REGULATIONS THIS METHOD IS EQUAL TO A FIRMWARE PURGE. |
THE HARD DRIVE WILL BE RE-MARKETABLE. THIS PROCESS CAN ACCOMPLISHED OVER A NETWORK. FREE SOFTWARE IS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND IS OK FOR LOW VOLUME. THIS IS PERFECT FOR VALIDATING AND REPORTING. A VERY STRONG DO IT YOURSELF SOLUTIONS FOR A LOW VOLUME OPERATION. |
THIS METHOD CANNOT BE SCALABLE. NOT GOOD FOR LARGE WITH COMPLIANCE CONCERNS. LESS GREEN BECAUSE USES MORE ENERGY FROM THE GRID. NOT MOBILE FOR OFF SITE PROCESSING. DOES NOT WORK ON BROKEN HARD DRIVES. HIDDEN SECTORS OF THE DRIVE MAY NOT PURGE THUS A DATA SECURITY BREACH IS POSSIBLE. IF DONE THROUGH THE BIOS AN INCOMPLETE PURGE IS LIKELY. MOST DATA PURGING FREE SOFTWARE ON THE MARKET WOULD PUT COMPANIES AT RISK OF A DATA SECURITY BREACH. |
| A DEGAUSSING MACHINE
THIS METHOD USES EQUIPMENT IN THE SHAPE OF A BIG BOX WHERE THE DRIVE IS PLACED, AT WHICH POINT AN EXTREMELY STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD IS ACTIVATED. THIS DESTROYS THE DATA AND MAKES THE HARD DRIVE PERMANENTLY UNUSABLE. |
BEYOND DESTROYING THE HARD DRIVE INTO LITTLE PIECES THIS METHOD ACHIEVES THE BEST LEVEL OF SECURITY. HOWEVER, THE HARD DRIVE WILL NEVER BE USED AGAIN. |
ALL THE DATA ON THE DRIVE WILL BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THIS PROCESS WORKS FASTER THAN MOST. MAY BE USED ON ALL TYPES OF MAGNETIC DATA STORAGE MEDIA. |
THE HARD DRIVE WILL BECOME INSTANT E-WASTE. THIS IS NOT A GREEN WAY OF COMPLETING AN E-WASTE TASK. THIS DOES NOT MEET REGULATORY COMPLIANCE BECAUSE VERIFICATION IS NOT DEEMED DILIGENT ENOUGH. THE LATEST DRIVES WITH THICK SHIELDS MAY CAUSE A PROBLEM. NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT EXTRACTING THE DRIVE FROM THE COMPUTER. THESE MACHINES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND MAY DAMAGE SURROUNDING ELECTRONICS. COMPANIES USING OUTSIDE VENDORS MAY BE HARMED BY LACK OF CUSTODY AND CONTROL. |
| THE DELETE BUTTON OR THE DELETION METHOD
WITHOUT TRULY DESTROYING THE DATA, ONLY COMMAND POINTERS TO DATA FILES ARE REMOVED. |
PER NIST THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT A SOLUTION FOR THE PROCESSING OF E-WASTE BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS LIKELIHOOD OF A BREACH OF SECURE DATA |
THIS IS A VERY EASY PROCESS TO HANDLE AND COMPLETE. |
ON THE SURFACE THE DRIVE WILL APPEAR EMPTY. HOWEVER, ACCESS TO SECURE DATA IS POSSIBLE. THEREFORE THIS METHOD IS DEFINITELY NOT A COMPLYING SOLUTION. |
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