Data, Disk, SSD, Media, and Storage Device Disposal FAQ
Storage device or media |
Action (at least one must be performed) |
|
High-risk data (Health information/PHI, payment card, SSN, DL#, banking, export control, compartmentalized, etc.) |
HDD (magnetic, spinning-platter type), Magnetic Tape, Other* |
· Crush/Shred |
High-risk data |
M.2, SSD, or flash |
· Crush/shred |
Sensitive data (FERPA, etc.) |
M.2, SSD, or flash |
· Overwrite/scrub (must be verified) · Crush/shred |
Sensitive data |
HDD (magnetic, spinning platter- type), Magnetic Tape, Other* |
· Overwrite/scrub (must be verified) · Degauss · Crush/shred |
Sensitive data |
Encrypted storage** |
· Verify device is completely encrypted, then delete all encryption keys such that they are completely irrecoverable and officially document.*** |
Internal data & Public data |
M.2, SSD, or flash |
· Overwrite/scrub · Crush/shred |
Internal data & Public data |
HDD (magnetic, spinning platter- type), Magnetic Tape, Other* |
· Overwrite/scrub · Degauss · Crush/shred |
Internal data & Public data |
Encrypted storage** |
· Verify device is completely encrypted, then delete all encryption keys such that they are completely irrecoverable and officially document.*** |
* "Other” includes optical media (e.g., CDs or DVDs), magnetic media (e.g., tapes or diskettes), disk drives (e.g., external, portable, or disk drives removed from information systems)
** Any university-managed device with strong, full-disk encryption for its entire service life including both flash and magnetic storage types
*** File-level encryption does not meet this requirement, nor does a device that was unencrypted for any length of time. Actions must be complete, and auditable
A. On spinning-platter and magnetic type hard drives, scrubbing or overwriting means writing over each bit with random ones and zeroes.
For flash memory and SSDs a different approach must be taken because it operates differently than magnetic media. Most SSDs have special data purge commands built into their hardware. These should overwrite the data in multiple passes using a pattern in the first pass and a complement in the second pass.
Spinning-platter HDD |
Secure Erase, Liveboot CLI++ | ++ use a Linux live-boot distro and "dd" to overwrite* the target HDD |
SSD | "ATA Secure erase" | See e.g. https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/securely-erase-ssd-without-destroying/ |
A. To an extent, but the only completely risk-free way of purging data is physical destruction. If you are concerned enough to ask the question, physical destruction is probably the answer.
A. No. The device must be scrubbed, overwritten, or destroyed before it is released or discarded, per the data classification requirements.
A. All broken storage devices with University data are required to be degaussed or destroyed before they are released.
A. See the OBFS page on how to Dispose of Unneeded Equipment.
A. The following vendors offer data destruction services and chain of custody and certificate of destruction documentation.
Vendor
|
Contact Information |
Vendor and contract information can be found on the OBFS website located here. | |
Vendor and contract information can be found on the OBFS website located here. | |
Procurri services need to be purchased through CDW. Contact information and information regarding CDW quotes can be found here. |
The table above includes links to contact information for each vendor as well as available contract information. For additional assistance regarding securing vendor services, we recommend contacting your Purchasing Office.
A. For devices containing High Risk data or for devices that can't be scrubbed/overwritten, use of an on-site destruction service is recommended. An off-site (shipping) option may provide additional assurance that data is irrecoverable and could be appropriate for scrubbed/overwritten devices containing Public, Internal, or Sensitive data.
A. Some regulations do require organizations to track and document actions taken during storage media disposal. If you have questions regarding retention requirements, we recommend you contact the Records and Information Management group.
A. Additional questions regarding data destruction and cybersecurity can be directed to securitysupport@illinois.edu.