So the end result is the same, but the question is: How many times does the underlying data need to be overwritten to ensure its protection? The History of Data Wiping Standards

The process doesn’t involve scrubbing the hard disk drive free of data, and it uses software to overwrite the important data underneath with random or otherwise useless data, which renders it irretrievable. The terms “data wiping” and “data erasure” are actually kind of misnomers. Thus, data wiping is necessary to prevent sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. Today we’re breaking down the oft-cited Department of Defense DOD 5220.22-M wiping standard to help you understand what it is, what it’s not, and why we no longer use the exact DOD method of data erasure here at CompuCycle.įor at least 20 years, experts have recognized the need for data erasure that goes beyond simply deleting files or even formatting, making the data difficult to recover but not impossible if one has the motivation and the tools. Debate inside the computer science community over which method works best has also created confusion among consumers. Data storage that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and filled a room 50 years ago now costs less than the price of a movie ticket, can fit in your pocket, and can hold thousands of times more data.īecause computing technology changes so rapidly, there’s often a lag between new standards and widespread adoption among the public such is the case with hard drive wiping. The Legend of the DOD Hard Drive Wipe Standardįew technologies in the history of mankind have evolved as quickly and dramatically as the hard drive.

Dod data wipe