Re: Data Sanitization

[Clifford Collins <collinsc () FRANKLIN EDU>]

The company that handles our paper shredding also shreds our hard drives. We have a separate, locked bin that they go 
in until the truck shows up. Just like the paper shredding they do on site, they shred the drives into metal filings on 
site. It has to be a different truck from the one for paper shredding because of the magnetic materials that adhere to 
the cutters that have to be cleaned off, degaussed, and sharpened regularly. FYI, the company is Shred-it 
(http://www.shredit.com/).

Clifford A. Collins
Information Security Officer
Franklin University
201 South Grant Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43215
"Security is a process, not a product"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kamnab Keo" <kkeo () VCU EDU>
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Sent: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 2:41:36 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [SECURITY] Data Sanitization




We are trying to get a good feel of what methods other institutions are using to sanitize electronic storage devices 
(Hard disk drives, USB flash drives, CD, DVD, tapes). We are particularly interested if you are using a degausser, hard 
drive bending machine or some other physical destruction methods (drilling holes in the disk drive, hammers, drive 
shredder).



One of our primary concerns is implementing a sanitizing process so that we can verify that data is adequately 
eliminated. For example, with a degaussing machine we would have to connect the disk drive to a computer in order to 
verify that it is no longer usable after the degaussing process. Has anyone experienced a failed degausser?



Your feedback is greatly appreciated



Kamnab Keo
IT Risk Management Analyst
Virginia Commonwealth University

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