Re: Degausser recommendations

[InfoSec <infosec () UGA EDU>]

In most cases the HDD is damage beyond usage, especially if a 8000+ gauss
(industrial strength) is used.  De-Gaussing is definitely for "destroying" -
key word destroying...

Wanting to reuse or return an HDD warrants another technology, like "data
shredder".  We use it to assure HIPAA, FERPA, GLBA and PCI compliance.



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-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Edwards [mailto:chris () ENG GLA AC UK]
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:42 AM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Degausser recommendations

On Thu, 3 May 2007, Ben Woelk wrote:

| One of the drivers for purchasing a degausser is to be able to remove
| information from damaged hard drives before disposing of them or
| returning them to the computer vendor when erasure is not an option.

Yep - the concern is for a failed disk, where we can't erase it using
regular computer-based erasing software.  If the disk is returned to vendor,
they may fix it and thus have access to our data, and/or give it to another
customer.

Sort of related, does anyone know the effects of degaussing a working HD ?
Let's assume the data is indeed destroyed.  Is the drive then fine to
re-use, perhaps after a reformat?  Or, is it rendered unusable or unreliable
by the degaussing ?  If so then there would seem little benefit in
degaussing then returning to vendor, as such drive would be useless to the
vendor.  You might as well keep it (and take the cost hit).

Chris

--
Chris Edwards, Glasgow University Computing Service