To prevent unauthorised access to data, it is important that the data must be rendered unreadable when the device on which it resides is disposed of or recycled. The appropriate method to use depends on the type of media. The main distinction is between ‘magnetic media’ (hard drives, floppy disks, USB flash drives and flash cards) and ‘optical media’ (CDs and DVDs).

Magnetic media 

Simply deleting files from a computer's hard drive or other storage media is almost never sufficient, as ‘delete’ simply changes indexing information about a file and the data itself remains on the disk. Emptying the ‘recycle bin’ or the ‘trash’ folder of deleted files is also usually ineffective, as the pointers to the deleted files are removed but the data itself still remains on the storage media as unallocated space.

Inoperable magnetic media

In the event that a hard disk or other magnetic media device is inoperable and therefore cannot be wiped using software tools, the disk must be physically destroyed.

Optical media

It is recommended that optical media such as CDs and DVDs are physically destroyed.

GCB Ltd utilise Blancco Total Data Erasure software, which enables us to securely erase your Magnetic Media, either in our secure workshop facility or on your own premises. We also offer a complete destruction service for Inoperable Magnetic and Optical Media.

Secure Data Erasure Compliance standards

• NSM (Certified version: Blancco - Data Cleaner+ 4.5, Blancco - Data Cleaner 3.3r7)
• ABW - The Polish Internal Security Agency (Certified software: Blancco – Data Cleaner+ v4.2r1)
• DIPCOG - the Defence INFOSEC Product Co-Operation Group of the UK's Ministry (Certified version: Blancco - Data Cleaner 3.3r7)
• CESG (Certified version: Blancco HMG software v4.10, Blancco - Data Cleaner+ 4.8 HMG, Blancco - Data Cleaner 3.7r1)
• DCSSI (Central Information Systems Security Division under the authority of the French General Secretary for National Defence)
• RITEA - Refurbished (reuse) Information Technology Equipment Association
• USA DoD - USA Department of Defense
• NSTL - National Security Testing Lab
• NATO recommendation
• TÜV confirmation (version: Blancco - Data Cleaner+ 4.7)
• AIVD (version: Blancco - Data Cleaner+ 4.8)
• Swedish Armed Forces (version: Blancco - Pro 4.8)

Magnetic erasure standards

• HMG Infosec Standard 5, Baseline Standard
• HMG Infosec Standard 5, Enhanced Standard
• Peter Gutmann’s Algortihm
• NIST, Enchanced NIST standard
• US Department of Defense Sanitizing DOD 5220.22-M & ECE
• Bruce Scheier’s Algorithm
• Navy Staff Office Publication NAVSO P-5239-26 for RLL
• The National Computer Security Center NCSC-TG-025
• Air Force System Security 5020
• US Army AR380-19
• German Standard VSITR
• OPNAVINST 5239.1A
• NSA (Overwrite standard by National Security Agency)

Flash based standards

• NAVSO P-5239-26 (TOP SECRET) for SSD
• NAVSO P-5239-26 (SECRET or CONFIDENTIAL) for SSD
• US Department of Defense Sanitizing DOD 5220.22-M for SSD