What is a NIST Erasure?

The NIST guidelines are a good starting point for understanding how to securely erase data on processed electronics. They specify two levels of wiping assurances: Clear, which is sufficient for most purposes, and Purge, which may be used by your organization for stronger assurances of complete data erasure.

 

More about NIST Erasure standards;

 

NIST erasure is a data sanitization method used to securely erase the data on a storage device or media so that it cannot be recovered by any means. NIST stands for National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is a US government agency that develops standards and guidelines for various fields, including information technology.

 

NIST erasure is a set of guidelines and procedures for sanitizing media that contain sensitive or classified information. These guidelines specify the number of times that the data must be overwritten with random data patterns to ensure that the original data cannot be recovered through forensic analysis or other means.

 

NIST erasure is used to protect sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized parties, especially in cases where the storage device or media is being discarded, reused, or resold. The guidelines are designed to ensure that the data is permanently erased, and there is no possibility of recovering any part of it.

 

NIST erasure is a recognized standard for data sanitization, and many government agencies, private companies, and individuals follow these guidelines to securely erase their data. The guidelines are regularly updated to keep pace with the latest technology and developments in the field.

 

Attached are the guidelines from NIST regarding Media Sanitization - more information can be found on their website as well;