You can put away that sledgehammer now!!!
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-88 Rev 1 conformity for data sanitation is offered within the Ciphertex SecureNAS® product line. There are three levels of data sanitation defined by the 800-88 standard, Destroy, Clear and Purge.
Destroy (aka The Sledgehammer) is exactly what its name implies. While some organizations, by statute or decree, require Destroy, it is the least desirable in terms of environmental friendliness and fiscal efficiency. It is certainly effective and can be successfully carried out on any device.
Clear applies logical techniques to sanitize data in all user-addressable storage locations for protection against simple non-invasive data recovery techniques. It is typically applied through the standard Read and Write commands to the storage device, such as by rewriting with a new value or using a menu option to reset the device to the factory state where rewriting is not supported. This level is not advised in a medium to highly confidential environment.
Purge is the most desirable option, and of course, it is the one provided by Ciphertex. Purging can apply physical or logical techniques, including overwrite, block erase, and Cryptographic Erase, through the use of dedicated, standardized device sanitize commands that apply media-specific techniques.
Barring the existence of a Destroy mandate, an organization is able to internally re-purpose a complete Ciphertex SecureNAS®, or media from within the SecureNAS®. Purged media can be safely and securely transferred to another department, sold to another organization or donated to a worthy cause. It can also be sent out for repair or replacement. Nothing has to be added to the non-biodegradable waste heap, and those budget dollars are not lost.
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