{
  "title": "How to Sanitize or Destroy Digital & Non-Digital Media",
  "date": "2020-07-01",
  "author": "Omer Kaan Aslim",
  "featured_image": "/assets/images/blog/2020/05/hard_drive_shred.jpg",
  "content": {
    "full_html": "<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tFailing to properly sanitize or destroy digital and non-digital media can result in the loss of your organization’s sensitive data. Here is how to do it the right way.\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<h2>Types of Media:</h2>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tThere are two types of media. Digital and non-digital. Digital media includes hard drives, USB thumb drives, CDs, floppy disks, and tape drives. Non-digital media generally includes paper and microfilm.\n\t</div>S\n</div>\n\n<h2>Methods for sanitizing and destroying digital media</h2>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tClearing: uses software or hardware products to overwrite user addressable storage space on the media with non-sensitive data, using the standard read and write commands for the device. \n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t<img class=\"img-fluid blog-img rounded\" src=\"/assets/images/blog/2020/05/dban.jpeg\" alt=\"dban\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tPurging: methods include overwrite, block erase, and Cryptographic Erase, through the use of dedicated, standardized device sanitize commands that apply media-specific techniques to bypass the abstraction inherent in typical read and write commands.\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tDestroying: methods include disintegration, pulverization, melting, and incineration. The application of physical destruction techniques may be the only option when the media fails and other Clear or Purge techniques cannot be effectively applied to the media, or when the verification of Clear or Purge methods fails (for known or unknown reasons).\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<h2>Methods for destroying non-digital media</h2>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tShredding: Destroy paper using cross-cut shredders which produce particles that are 1 mm x 5 mm (0.04 in. x 0.2 in.) in size (or smaller), or pulverize/disintegrate paper materials using disintegrator devices equipped with a 3/32 in. (2.4 mm) security screen. \n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tShredding paper properly is critical, the below image demonstrates the results of various shredding methods.\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t<img class=\"img-fluid blog-img rounded\" src=\"/assets/images/blog/2020/05/cut_types.jpg\" alt=\"Shredding paper properly is critical, this image demonstrates the results of various shredding methods.\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tAs you can see, paper that is not properly shredded can be reconstructed and read. \n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t<img class=\"img-fluid blog-img rounded\" src=\"/assets/images/blog/2020/05/shredding-reconstruction.jpg\" alt=\"Shredded paper that has been reconstructed.\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tBurning: Destroy microforms (microfilm, microfiche, or other reduced image photo negatives) by burning. \n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tBetween former President Obama and Vice President Biden you can see a stripped burn bag. Any documents placed in the bag are to be burned until they turn to white ash.\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t<img class=\"img-fluid blog-img rounded\" src=\"/assets/images/blog/2020/05/1280px-Burnbag_Obama_Biden.jpg\" alt=\"An example of a burn bag\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<h2>Which sanitiation or destruction method should you use?</h2>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tIf you are going to reuse a device within your organization you do not need to completely destroy the device. The method used for destroying your media is dependent on where the media will go and the security categorization of the data stored on the media. The below diagram is quite useful.\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t<img class=\"img-fluid blog-img rounded\" src=\"/assets/images/blog/2020/05/data_sanitation_destrcution_chart.jpg\" alt=\"diagram demonstrating which destruction methods are to be used\">\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<h2>Documenting the sanitation or destruction of media</h2>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\tYou should document the destruction of media in a “certification of sanitation” <a href=\"https://www.lakeridge.io/assets/downloadables/Certificate_Sanitation.pdf\">(download our template)</a>. If you paid a third party to destroy your media (e.g., hard disk shredding) then you should receive documentation from them verifying that your media has in fact been destroyed.\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<h2>Data Sanitation Software</h2>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https://dban.org/\">Blancco Drive Eraser (paid) and DBAN (free)</a>\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<h2>Referenced Resources</h2>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-88r1.pdf\">NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 1</a>\n\t</div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"row mb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n<a href=\"https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/used-drives-sold-sensitive-data-1-1/\">Report: 42% of Used Drives Sold on eBay Hold Sensitive Data\n</a>\n\t</div>\n</div>",
    "plain_text": "\n\t\n\t\tFailing to properly sanitize or destroy digital and non-digital media can result in the loss of your organization’s sensitive data. Here is how to do it the right way.\n\t\n\n\nTypes of Media:\n\n\n\t\n\t\tThere are two types of media. Digital and non-digital. Digital media includes hard drives, USB thumb drives, CDs, floppy disks, and tape drives. Non-digital media generally includes paper and microfilm.\n\tS\n\n\nMethods for sanitizing and destroying digital media\n\n\n\t\n\t\tClearing: uses software or hardware products to overwrite user addressable storage space on the media with non-sensitive data, using the standard read and write commands for the device. \n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\tPurging: methods include overwrite, block erase, and Cryptographic Erase, through the use of dedicated, standardized device sanitize commands that apply media-specific techniques to bypass the abstraction inherent in typical read and write commands.\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\tDestroying: methods include disintegration, pulverization, melting, and incineration. The application of physical destruction techniques may be the only option when the media fails and other Clear or Purge techniques cannot be effectively applied to the media, or when the verification of Clear or Purge methods fails (for known or unknown reasons).\n\t\n\n\nMethods for destroying non-digital media\n\n\n\t\n\t\tShredding: Destroy paper using cross-cut shredders which produce particles that are 1 mm x 5 mm (0.04 in. x 0.2 in.) in size (or smaller), or pulverize/disintegrate paper materials using disintegrator devices equipped with a 3/32 in. (2.4 mm) security screen. \n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\tShredding paper properly is critical, the below image demonstrates the results of various shredding methods.\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\tAs you can see, paper that is not properly shredded can be reconstructed and read. \n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\tBurning: Destroy microforms (microfilm, microfiche, or other reduced image photo negatives) by burning. \n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\tBetween former President Obama and Vice President Biden you can see a stripped burn bag. Any documents placed in the bag are to be burned until they turn to white ash.\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\nWhich sanitiation or destruction method should you use?\n\n\n\t\n\t\tIf you are going to reuse a device within your organization you do not need to completely destroy the device. The method used for destroying your media is dependent on where the media will go and the security categorization of the data stored on the media. The below diagram is quite useful.\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\nDocumenting the sanitation or destruction of media\n\n\n\t\n\t\tYou should document the destruction of media in a “certification of sanitation” (download our template). If you paid a third party to destroy your media (e.g., hard disk shredding) then you should receive documentation from them verifying that your media has in fact been destroyed.\n\t\n\n\nData Sanitation Software\n\n\n\t\n\t\tBlancco Drive Eraser (paid) and DBAN (free)\n\t\n\n\nReferenced Resources\n\n\n\t\n\t\tNIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 1\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\nReport: 42% of Used Drives Sold on eBay Hold Sensitive Data\n\n\t\n"
  },
  "metadata": {
    "description": "Did you know that 42% of used drives sold on eBay hold sensitive data?",
    "permalink": "/destroying-digital-and-non-digital-media.json",
    "categories": [],
    "tags": []
  }
}