ssd destruction Archives

How to — and How to NOT — Destroy SSDs at End-of-Life

November 24, 2021 at 4:01 pm by Amanda Canale

Since the first days of chat message boards and social media profiles, we’ve all heard the saying, “don’t put all of your information online because it never truly goes away.” The same can be said for end-of-life data and information on solid state drives (SSDs): once information is on there, it’s next to impossible to fully remove. Aside from implementing a secure, in-house destruction plan, there are numerous methods we do not recommend using. Let’s break some of those down.

Degaussing

A major misconception when it comes to data destruction is that destruction methods for hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) are interchangeable. We hate to burst your bubble but…that’s false! Degaussing is simply not an option for the destruction of end-of-life data on SSDs. Solid state drives and optical media do not require it as part of the destruction process because they do not have an inner magnetic, rotational platter that can be scrambled like HDDs do.

However, crushing and/or shredding is recommended. Since SSDs can store vast amounts of information on such small chips, even tiny, intact fragments can hold a plethora of sensitive or private data. This means that every single SSD chip must be properly destroyed and done so in a machine specifically designed to destroy solid state media and produce particles small enough to ensure that no data can be retrieved.

Recycling and/or Throwing Away

While we always support taking the greener route, trying to recycle your end-of-life drives cannot be done securely and is not recommended. Unfortunately, the majority of our waste and recycling ends up in landfills and dumpsters which are literal gold mines for hackers and thieves.

In addition, it is often reported that on average, recyclables and waste sit on sorting floors for up to four weeks before finally being destroyed. To top it off, recycling and waste is hardly ever transported securely, making it easy for people to intercept and have access to your most sensitive information, putting yourself at even more risk of a possible breach.

Deleting and/or Overwriting

While methods such as cryptographic erasure and data erasure would allow the drive to be used again, it is not a secure and foolproof destruction. Information, whether encrypted or unencrypted, can still linger behind on the drive and be accessed, even if it has previously been deleted or overwritten.

ITAD

ITADs, or information technology asset disposition companies, are third-party vendors that sanitize and destroy end-of-life data and drives. While the appeal of these types of companies can be quite attractive, we at SEM do not recommend utilizing these types of companies when disposing of your end-of-life data. While there are some reputable ITAD and data sanitization companies out there, the risk may not be worth the convenience. Security risks can be unpredictable and potentially catastrophic as it can be far too easy for ITAD vendors to misuse, mishandle, and misplace drives when in transportation, destruction, or disposal. It has also been reported that some vendors sell end-of-life devices and their sensitive information to online third parties.

Other (Un)Worthy Methods

Running over SSDs with your car
Roasting your SSDs over a fire
Giving your SSDs a swimming lesson
Physical destruction with a blunt object

By physically destroying SSDs with an appropriate shredder or disintegrator, companies are choosing the most secure method of data destruction as this is the only way to be certain that the end-of-life data has been properly destroyed. SEM SSD crushers are ideal for lower volume data center destruction of solid state media, while our shredders are recommended for higher volume destruction. SEM SSD disintegrators provide the most complete chip destruction and the highest level of security, destroying SSDs and chips to the NSA’s mandated 2mm final particle.

Wait, This is a USB Drive?!

August 11, 2020 at 9:41 am by Paul Falcone

USB devices have been the technological highways that bridge data between devices for over 24 years. First released in 1996, a universal serial bus (USB) was introduced to the market that could transfer data at 1.5 Mbit/s. The most recent technology is USB4, which is able to transfer data at over 40GBits/s and is expected to hit the commercial market in 2021. For comparison, every 1,000 megabits is equal to 1 gigabit, which means that the latest technology when compared to its original version is over 26,000 times faster.

That’s a lot of data.

But that’s not what this blog is about. This blog is about finding some of the most unique, weird, or interesting USB storage devices that I can find on the internet, so here it goes.

Bury Your (Digital) Secrets

Just in case you needed to do some grounds work while holding onto some data, this USB might be the perfect fit. This shovel USB from the subreddit DiWHY might be just what you’re looking for. It has a dual feature design that allows you to both store data *and* dig holes.

A Wealth of Data

In 2012, Swedish jeweler Shawish Geneva unveiled the world’s first all diamond ring for the grand asking price of 70 million dollars. More importantly, they later additionally unveiled a USB drive inspired by Alice in Wonderland that cost over 36,000 dollars for just 32GB of storage. That’s 1,125 dollars a GB. The mushroom designed drive can be seen in all of its shiny glory below.

Bite for Byte

Hungry? Turns out people love to make USB drives that look like food! A small sample on the menu today: watermelon, strawberries, sushi, or maybe even a bottle of Canadian Club or Jack Daniels? Personally, if I had a sushi USB drive I was staring at all the time it would increase my weekly sushi consumption to daily sushi consumption.

Data, Locked and Loaded

Make sure you have the ammunition needed to store your data. These USB devices will give you the feeling of having the firepower to match the speeds of the data you’re transmitting. Want to live in a steampunk world with a Gatling gun? Got you covered. Want to lay down some cover with a grenade? Got you covered for that too.

Do it Yourself

Speaking of all this DIY, why not do your own data destruction yourself while you’re at it? No matter what kind of USB devices you own or how expensive they are (looking at you Sweden), know that SEM has you covered for any and all destruction needs and requirements. Several of our multi-media disintegrators would be the perfect solution to ensure that no one is able to ever pull any information off of old hardware.

Take the SEM Model 200 disintegrator for instance, capable of shredding all USB thumb drives and a variety of other electronic media devices to a particle size as small as 2mm.

Then maybe you can use that shovel USB to bury the remaining shredded pieces out somewhere no one will find. Talk about DiWHY, huh?

HDD vs. SSD for Data Storage: Which is Better?

September 3, 2019 at 3:04 pm by Paul Falcone

Technology is advancing, and life as we know it is becoming more and more digital. As a result, data storage is a vital part of everyday life. The question is raised whether a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) is better for data storage. Both have their benefits, but which one is truly better to use?

HDDs

Hard disk drives are data storage devices that store data via magnetic storage, which uses platters to store and retrieve data. HDDs store the data on rotating disks coated with magnetic material. The data is stored and retrieved by actuator arms, which read or write data on the platters. HDDs have the advantage of being cheaper and storing more data; however, they are slower than SSDs, and they are susceptible to magnets, which could cause a loss of data.For destruction, HDDs are physically destroyed either by shredding or crushing. Crushing applies force to the drive chassis, which renders the internal platters and the read/write heads irrecoverable. For shredding, the device uses cutting edges to rip the drive apart, and disposes of it by shredding it to pieces. Shredders are faster and better to use in bulk, but crushers are equally effective for small amounts of dead drives. For even more protection, HDDs should be degaussed prior to physical destruction. Degaussers work by subjecting magnetic media to a strong magnetic field that removes data from data bearing surfaces. The magnetic field can be created either by powerful magnets or an electromagnetic discharge. For classified HDD media disposal, the National Security Agency (NSA) requires a two-step process of degaussing followed by physical destruction in either an NSA listed crusher or NSA approved shredder.

SSDs

Solid state drives use integrated circuits to store data. In layman’s terms, the data, rather than being on a disk and having to be found by a read/write head, is instead stored in cells and can be accessed instantly. SSDs have the advantage of providing quicker access to data, which in turn makes the computer run faster. Furthermore, unlike HDDs, they are not magnetized, so they are not susceptible to magnets. On the downside, they store less data per drive than HDDS and are also more expensive. Interestingly enough, despite the additional speed of access, an SSD uses less power than an HDD. Also, due to SSDs having fewer moving parts, they have better longevity than their HDD counterparts.Due to the way SSDs store data, they must be destroyed using an SSD-specific destruction device, which creates a smaller final particle size than HDD destruction devices. If even a tiny chip on an SSD is left undamaged, data can be recovered. The NSA requirement for disposal of classified solid state media is a final particle size of 2mm, which is exceedingly small and requires a dedicated, costly device for destruction. For all other applications, from Unclassified to CUI to commercial to PII, a solid state shredder or crusher is perfectly acceptable. As long as each chip is damaged, the data is non-recoverable.

It is important to note that for data stored on either type of drive, the best way to ensure that it is disposed of properly is to have on-site destruction. On-site destruction reduces risk from outside vendors and third parties and allows the data to be monitored and tracked throughout the entire disposal process. SEM’s data destruction devices are available in a variety of sizes and throughputs so that every security-conscious organization has a cost-effective, efficient, and secure option for on-site data destruction.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing between an SSD or HDD, there isn’t really one correct answer. When making the decision, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of each. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to store a lot of data, an HDD is the optimal choice. If you are looking for speed, longevity, and better power usage, an SSD is better. Something very important to keep in mind when choosing between disk drive types is that if they are used to store sensitive data, the more cost-effective option is an HDD, as they store more data and are far easier and less expensive to destroy. However, if an SSD is better suited to your application, ensure that an SSD destroyer is on hand for when the drive reaches its end-of-life.

Solid State Devices: Destruction Overkill?

September 19, 2018 at 8:54 pm by Heidi White

Organizations frequently use paper shredders and computer media destroyers that are approved for the highest security materials they ever have, using that equipment for all of their materials in a single stream process. Also common is to get the highest security level device that is available, even it goes well beyond the level of destruction mandated for or customarily used for the materials they actually have. This could be called a “better safe than sorry” philosophy for media destruction.

For some information destruction equipment, like office paper shredders, choosing the most secure equipment for everything can often work out alright. This choice will almost always be more costly than selecting the minimum security level device for each type of material for which it will be used. However, a greater cost is often accepted in return for the confidence of having the greatest possible degree of information destruction. For paper shredders, the highest security level means the smallest particle size, typically produced by NSA listed models.

The situation for solid state media destroyers is very different. As a rule, dramatically greater hassle and cost will come from choosing the most secure possible device. Solid state materials include whole solid state drives, flash memory sticks, thumb drives, circuit boards with flash storage, cell phones, and some smart cards. The highest security level for destroying these types of materials is the NSA standard, currently set at a maximum of 4mm squared, with compliant devices typically producing a particle size of 2mm x 2mm. This particle size is required by the NSA for classified solid state items.

At the time I am writing this, the choices for NSA listed SSD destroyers are minimal. There is only one office friendly device with extremely limited capabilities. There are also a couple of large industrial type devices suited for folks with large spaces and large budgets. With the current set of choices, getting an NSA listed SSD destroyer means enormous costs. Adding to the large initial cost, operational labor (due to very slow throughput), replacement parts, repairs, and preventive maintenance are very high for these machines.

The reality is that many organizations don’t need an NSA level of destruction for all of their solid state materials. Often the classified items are only a very limited part of the mix. In these cases, there are a few ways to save a lot of money and hassle. If none of the solid state items to be destroyed are actually classified, there are machines that are many times faster, much more rugged, and are a small fraction of the cost of the NSA listed machines. These devices produce high to extreme levels of destruction, well beyond any reasonable likelihood of reconstruction of any data. If only a portion of the items in the mix is classified material, a major bump in productivity plus significant savings can come from using one of these lower cost devices for the unclassified items. Even if an NSA listed SSD destroyer is brought in, the load on it can be reduced by using a second machine for the unclassified materials. This type of dual stream process can save many times the cost of the second machine in terms of reduced purchases of repairs, maintenance, and spare parts.

When it comes to solid state media destruction, for folks whose materials are all or mostly unclassified, going with general purpose SSD destroyers offers these benefits over NSA listed SSD destroyers:

Up to 20 times faster throughput
Minimal service needs, even zero service needs through thousands of cycles
Ability for most models to take whole SSDs with no assembly
Models that run off of regular 120V wall current
Dramatically lower cost for the equipment, ongoing service, and parts

Of course, technologies change over time. New products will surely come out. NSA certifications will change. It is a moving parade over longer time scales. But, for now, a great strategy for dealing with solid state media destruction that is partly or totally unclassified is to get a good general purpose SSD destroyer that provides a satisfactory level of destruction.

Bob Glicker, Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Manager, has over 35 total years of sales experience with over 23 years of targeted government sales experience. Bob prides himself on providing the highest level of service to his government clients, and he enjoys working with key resellers. Bob received his BS in Chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park. In his free time, Bob enjoys a variety of activities including gym workouts, cycling, reading, and listening to podcasts. He is also an avid science lover, an amateur juggler, a vegetarian, and the quintessential family guy.

Hard Drive and Solid State Media End-of-Life Destruction

August 27, 2018 at 2:36 pm by SEM

Where do hard drives go when they die? You can’t just toss them in the trash. There’s too much sensitive information on them that could result in significant liabilities. So what should you do? Before you can decide what to do, you also need to identify the sensitivity of the information and type of media that needs to be disposed.

Information Types

While there are many acronyms and levels of information, it’s actually reasonably simple if you break it down into two categories. The first high security information, which is information that is typically found in the highest levels of government. So sensitive that it may pose a threat to the defense of our country. The second is sensitive information. In today’s world where criminals are trying to steal identities or proprietary information, virtually all information is now sensitive. This is most applicable in the health care, financial, banking and retail industries as well as education and state/local governments.

Media Formats

Once you have categorized the type of information, you need to determine how the data is stored? High security and sensitive information is found on a wide variety of storage devices – the bulk of which is either stored magnetically on magnetic media formats like hard disk drives and back-up data tapes or stored on chips found on a solid state devices like an SSD drives, thumb drives, cell or phones.

Means of Destruction

While there are a variety of methods to erase data such as degaussing magnetic media or implementing an erasure software program, in the end, the most effective method is to combine the data erasure with a method to physically destroy the media. One such physical destruction method is the use of a hard drive shredder.

But do I need a shredder that is designed for platter based magnetic drives and another one for solid state drives?

Not necessarily.

While systems that are designed specifically for either platter based drives or storage chip based devices are certainly highly efficient, a combo unit, like the SEM Model 0315 HDD/SSD COMBO shown here, deploys two separate openings that feed cutting chambers designed to effectively shred either a magnetic platter based HDD and/or a solid state chip based device. The magnetic media HDD side of the shredder will reduce the media to a particle size that is as small as .75” while the other side is designed to shred the solid state device down to .375” (9.5 mm), small enough to insure that all of the storage chips on the media are destroyed. Other combo units with greater throughput capacity are also available here.

What Solution is Best?

Once you have identified the type of information and the formats in which the data is stored, you can make an informed decision of which solution best meets your end-of life data storage requirements. If the bulk of your media is either magnetic media or solid state media, consider a system designed specifically for that form of media. However, if your organization stores data on both forms of media, an all-in-one combo system that effectively shreds both may be the answer.

Don’t forget SEM is always here to help guide you through the decision making process. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us today!

Security Engineered Machinery Introduces Enterprise Line of Data Destruction Devices

June 26, 2018 at 3:05 pm by Heidi White

Secure data destruction device manufacturer becomes first to offer end-of-life solutions specifically for enterprise drives

Security Engineered Machinery Co., Inc. (SEM), global leader in high security information end-of-life solutions, announced the introduction of a line of hard drive destroyers specifically engineered for enterprise drive destruction. The Enterprise Line, which includes rotational and solid state shredders and a disintegrator, is the first of its kind in the data destruction industry.

“We engineered the Enterprise Line to address the needs of our data center clients,” said Nicholas Cakounes, Executive Vice President of SEM. “The overwhelming client feedback we received expressed an imminent need for data destruction devices that could easily handle the larger, thicker, denser enterprise drives commonly found in data center environments.”

The Enterprise Line includes the compact, quiet Model 0315 hard drive shredder designed for office use, as well as the high-volume Model 0305 and Model 0304 shredders. The 0315 shreds up to 90 enterprise rotational hard disk drives (HDDs) and up to 120 enterprise solid state drives (SSDs) per hour at 1.5” final particle size, whereas the industrial grade 0305 and 0304 destroy up to 800 HDDs/1,200 SSDs and 1,400 HDDs/2,000 SSDs per hour, respectively. All three models are available in multiple configurations to accommodate a variety of user requirements: rotational hard disk drive (HDDs) only, solid state drive (SSD) only, and a combo version that destroys both HDDs and SSDs utilizing separate feed openings and cutting chambers. Final particle size for HDDs ranges from 1.5” to 0.75”, and final particle size for SSDs is 0.375”. All shredders in the new Enterprise Line are noted on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List (EPL) for HDD Destruction Devices as an approved solution for the “deformation of magnetic media hard drive platters” and are GDPR, NIST 800-88, SOX, FACTA, HIPAA, FISMA, NAID, and DoD compliant.

In addition to the three shredder models, SEM’s new Enterprise Line includes the Model 2SSD Disintegrator engineered to destroy SSDs to a nominal particle size of 2mm². This newly redesigned machine employs an industrial grade, dual stage cutting system with specially enhanced cutting blades and sizing screens to provide maximum throughput in an office environment. Designed with a custom, steel-insulated sound enclosure for maximum sound control, the 2SSD also features an internal carbon-based pre-filter and HEPA air filtration system for operator safety as well as odor and dust control. Click for video.

“After pilot testing the devices with our existing Fortune 50 data center clients, we realized that the Enterprise Line provides the ideal solution to organizations looking to safeguard privacy and mitigate risk in the data center and beyond,” added Andrew Kelleher, President of SEM. “In addition to data centers, security-focused organizations such as the federal government, healthcare providers, and financial institutions are facing increased compliance requirements in parallel with more frequent use of enterprise drives into their data centers. The problem becomes what to do with the drives at end-of-life to maintain privacy and compliance — we are providing that solution.”

All devices in the Enterprise Line are specifically designed for enterprise drive destruction with increased torque, industrial grade construction, and more rugged cutting heads, enabling the system to cut through multiple steel plates, carriers, and other enterprise drive constructed components such as heat sinks and cooling tubes.

Destruction System reduces SSDs and other Electronic Media to Less Than 0.5mm Particles – Meets DIN E-7

June 13, 2018 at 4:06 pm by SEM

WESTBORO, MA — The SEM Model SSD1-HS from Security Engineered Machinery reduces solid state devices to waste particles of .5mm squared or less and meets DIN 66399 Standard E-7; smaller than the NSA requirement for sanitization of SSD devices per NSA/CSS EPL 9-12. Absolute destruction through repetitive high speed cutting of memory media ensure all data is properly sanitized.

Storage media is continuously cut until it is small enough to pass through a customer selected waste sizing system to meet customer’s security level or a specific DIN Level. Items that can be destroyed in the Model SSD1-HS include solid state boards, RAM, smart phone / cell phone components, SIM cards, USB flash drives, compact flash and even optical discs. The Model SSD1-HS is a compact, self-contained destruction system with all components housed within a custom enclosure for maximum sound, odor and dust control.

The Model SSD1-HS destruction capacity is dependent on the media being destroyed and the customer selected sizing screen.

An ergonomic operator interface allows easy viewing and control of all machine functions. The Model SSD1-HS features an interlocked feed slide with integrated feeding protocols ensuring proper metering of media through the data sanitization process. Safety interlocks prevent operation when any safety guard or panel is not in place or waste disposal is required. An air filtration system consisting of a carbon pre-filter and HEPA filter is also included.

Security Engineered Machinery, SEM, is an innovative designer and manufacturer of data-destruction equipment located in Westboro Massachusetts. SEM supplies mission critical EOL equipment to the US Federal Government including the DoD and other intelligence agencies, as well as large multinational datacenter operators. SEM’s engineering staff is available to assist customers with special products and systems that will sanitize any media / material down to stakeholder required sanitization levels such as high volume central destruction systems used by nationally recognized commercial banks and healthcare organizations. Areas of expertise include the destruction of hard drives and other mixed media and heavy-duty, high-capacity shredders for recycling applications.

For more information, contact James T. Norris, Norris & Company, 264 Bodwell Street, Avon, MA 02322 Tel: (508) 510-5626, FAX: (508) 510-4180, E-mail: jim@norrisco.com

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Tag: ssd destruction