Summary: SSDs are becoming more prevalent due to their increased speed of data processing and relatively decreasing prices per Gigabyte. This makes flash media a preferred choice amongst businesses and government agencies to store confidential data on them. To protect the sensitive information stored on SSDs, it is critical to understand how to properly erase SSDs. In this blog, we will discover some common mistakes that businesses make when erasing SSDs to protect data, that must be avoided.
Solid State Drives (SSDs) in recent years have become the mainstream storage technology for mobiles and computers alike due to their low latency, superior bandwidth, higher I/O performance, improved system stability, and low failure rates as compared to Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). SSDs are faster than traditional hard drives because they have no moving parts and instead use flash memory. This means that the data can be accessed and processed more quickly and hence a preferred choice for businesses to store data. They are also less likely to fail unlike HDDs as they have no moving parts which can wear out, moreover, they are energy efficient and can save businesses a lot of money, especially in the case of large data centers that use many storage devices.
As a result of its widespread usage, businesses must understand the dos and don’ts of Solid State Drives, particularly when wiping SSDs to remove confidential data. It is observed that businesses make some common mistakes while wiping data-bearing SSDs that can result in data leakage and breach leading to financial and legal repercussions.
Here are five common mistakes that you would like to know to be more aware of while dealing with SSD erasure.
5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Erasing SSDs:
- Deleting/Formatting/Factory Reset: Wiping SSDs using the traditional method of deletion or formatting the drive may be highly ineffective as these methods only delete the pointers (indexing) to the data and do not completely eradicate information. A freely available DIY data recovery tool can recover data from formatted SSD. You may read our previous blog about the difference between ‘Deletion’ and ‘Data Erasure’ to understand the importance of securely erasing confidential information.
- Deleting Partition or a Volume on SSD: Another commonly made mistake is deleting the partition or a volume on the SSD to get rid of data stored on it. However, numerous professional tools exist that can easily recover lost partitions, rendering this partition erasure technique highly unreliable.
For Example, Stellar Data Recovery is one such software that helps to recover data from missing & lost partitions.
- Using Native Secure Erase Command: Some SSDs come with an in-built secure erase command that overwrites the entire SSD, however; it is hard to prove whether the data is permanently erased from the hidden sectors considering that there is no proof of data destruction. Moreover, the scope of this feature is limited, it is only provided by certain manufacturers. In addition, the native secure erase command lacks transparency, there is no way to verify the data erasure. A professional data erasure software like BitRaser on the other hand provides comprehensive reporting by generating tamper-proof reports of erasure that can be used by businesses to demonstrate complete erasure in compliance with global laws and regulations.
- Using a Free Tool like Dban to Wipe SSDs: One common mistake that people make when attempting to wipe an SSD is using a freely available tool like DBAN (Darik’s Boot and Nuke) that does not guarantee data erasure from SSD. DBAN is a disk-wiping utility that was designed for wiping traditional drives and not SSDs. If you use such utilities you aren’t sure that data is wiped securely as no proof of data destruction is generated.
- Using Multiple Passes Overwrite on SSD: SSDs have a limited number of write cycles, therefore; overwriting them multiple times using algorithms like DoD-3-pass or DoD-7-pass will affect the longevity of the storage media and is not recommended for wiping SSD drives. As per, NIST SP 800-88 Rev 1 the two acceptable methods of erasing SSDs are NIST Clear & NIST Purge; however cryptographic erase may also be used on SSDs that support encryption. We recommend CE on devices that store less sensitive data. You can learn about the best erasure method for each device type by reading our article on choosing the best erasure method.
Our Recommendation:
We recommend businesses follow secure data disposal practices and use a professional data erasure tool that is tested, certified, and compliant with global laws and regulations. A preferred choice for many global Enterprises, MSPs, and ITADs is BitRaser. You can read details about the software and download a copy of its brochure from here.
Conclusion:
By avoiding these 5 common mistakes made by businesses while wiping SSD drives you can ensure secure and complete removal of all data from your SSDs. Following the advice you can ensure that your sensitive data is erased permanently using BitRaser and you are complying with laws and data privacy regulations.
FAQs
What are the common mistakes that businesses make when wiping their SSDs?
5 common mistakes that businesses make when wiping their SSDs are:
Performing delete, format, factory reset for wiping SSDs, deleting the partition or a volume on SSD, using the native Secure Erase command, using a free tool like DBAN to wipe SSDs and using multiple passes overwrite on SSD.
Will deleting or formatting remove data from SSD?
Deletion or formatting an SSD may be highly ineffective as these methods only delete the pointers (indexing) to the data and do not completely eradicate information. A freely available DIY data recovery tool can recover data from formatted SSD.
Does using the native secure erase command effectively erase an SSD?
The native secure erase command lacks transparency, there is no way to verify the data erasure. It is hard to prove whether the data is permanently erased from all the sectors considering that there is no proof of data destruction. Therefore, using a native secure erase command can’t be considered an effective method to erase an SSD.
Can I wipe SSDs using a free tool like DBAN?
DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) does not guarantee data erasure from SSD. DBAN is a disk-wiping utility that was designed for wiping traditional drives and not SSDs. If you use such utilities you aren’t sure that data is wiped securely as no proof of data destruction is generated.
Can I use the multiple passes overwrite method on SSDs for secure data erasure?
SSDs have a limited number of write cycles, therefore; overwriting them multiple times using algorithms like DoD-3-pass or DoD-7-pass will affect the longevity of the storage media and is not recommended for wiping SSD drives. As per, NIST SP 800-88 Rev 1 the two acceptable methods of erasing SSDs are NIST Clear & NIST Purge; however Cryptographic Erase may also be used on SSDs that support encryption. We recommend CE on devices that store less sensitive data.
