Other erasing methods may be less effective because they rely on more standard ways of overwriting it.
This makes Secure Erase fast compared to other data sanitization methods and arguably more effective.
Some programs have the wordssecure erasein their names or advertise that theysecurely erasedata from a hard drive.
Jeffrey Coolidge / Getty Images
However, unless theyspecificallynote that they use a hard drive’s Secure Erase commands, they likely don’t.
NCSC-TG-025 is no longer a data sanitization standard for the NSA.
You canread the NSA/CSS SDDM here(PDF).
It’s unclear if the USAF still uses this data sanitization as its standard.
This method has also been seen implemented with verifications after each pass, not just the last one.
you could read the AR 380-19 data sanitization specification inAR 380-19 Appendix F(PDF).
you’re free to read the NAVSO P-5239-26 data sanitization specification in 3.3.c.1 and 3.3.c.2 ofNAVSO Publication 5239-26.
It’s unclear if the US Navy still uses it as its data sanitization standard.
However, according to the actual specification, this is the less effective, “alternate method.”
The “preferred method” involves a more complicated overwriting pattern.
However, RCMP TSSIT OPS-II is no longer the Canadian government’s software-based data sanitization standard.
The data sanitization standard in Canada is now CSEC ITSG-06, or a program that utilizes Secure Erase.
CSEC ITSG-06 replaced RCMP TSSIT OPS-II as Canada’s data sanitization standard.
This method comes in two similar versions: HMG IS5Baselineand HMG IS5Enhanced.
You canread more about the BSIon their website.
GOST R 50739-95
There actually was never an official GOST R 50739-95 data sanitization method.
There is a GOST R 50739-95 document, but it doesn’t specify any data sanitization standard or methodology.
Regardless, the implementations mentioned below are labeled as GOST methods by most data destruction programs.
The Russian GOST R 50739-95 data sanitization standard is sometimes incorrectly called GOST p50739-95.
It writes a total of 35 passes.
Wikipedia’s lengthy explanation of the original Gutmann methodincludes a table of the patterns used in each pass.
This method was designed in the late 1900s.
Conclusion: the Gutmann method can do this, but so can other data sanitization methods.
However, whether this is accurate is up for debate.
In addition to this, most software will let you execute the Pfitzner method more than once.
Some applications may also verify the passes after they’ve completed.
Random Data
Some data sanitization methods overwrite existing data with zeros or ones.
Others include both zeros and ones, but also random characters as well.
However, the Random Data method, as the name suggests, only uses random characters.
The data sanitization method is implemented in various ways:
Pass 1 - ?
You may also have the option of verification after each pass or just the final pass.
Some software let you customize not only the number of passes, but also the characters that are used.
For example, you may be given the option to add a pass of just zeros.
Is Write Zero Sufficient for Erasing Data?
Some data sanitization methods replace your regular, readable data with random characters.
As just mentioned above, Write Zero does the same thing but uses, well… zeros.
With all the options available, what’s the purpose of a zero-fill utility?
However, certain characters might also provide better privacy than others.
The Write Zero method is sometimes, and more accurately, referred to as theSingle Overwritemethod.
It may also be calledzero fill eraseorzero-fill.
Which Data Sanitization Method Is Best?
This is almost universally agreed upon.
This isnotas agreed upon.
Most experts agree that Secure Erase is thebestway to overwrite an entire hard drive in a single pass.
The very simple Write Zero method accomplishes essentially the same thing, albeit much slower.
[1] Craig Wright, Dave Kleiman, and Shyaam Sundhar R.S.
inOverwriting Hard Drive Data: The Great Wiping Controversy[PDF].
If a Single Overwrite Is Enough, Why Are There So Many Data Sanitization Methods?
What Does It Mean to ‘Verify the Write?’
*CBL Data Shredder lets you make custom wipe methods.
