The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has introduced the Standard for Sanitizing Storage to address data security concerns.
According to the Circular Drive Initiative (CDI), 90 per cent of storage drives are destroyed due to data breaches. So the standard offers a three-tier approach namely; erasing data, purging through overwriting, and physically destroying drives. However, the CDI cautions against relying on physical destruction methods alone, as skilled hackers can retrieve data from small platters.
While cloud service providers focus data leak prevention, there is an opposing viewpoint that promotes sustainability and secure reuse. In the previous fiscal year, Seagate, a CDI member, repaired and sold 1.16 million hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs), saving almost 540 tons of electronic trash from landfills.
The reconditioned drives are subjected to rigorous testing and recertification processes, according to Amy Zuckerman, Seagate’s sustainability and transformation director. They come with a fresh five or seven-year guarantee to assure dependability. These drives are primarily intended for smaller data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations. While the precise number of refurbishments a drive may receive is unknown, Seagate strives for double usage to enhance its longevity.
Hard drives are dismantled to save valuable pieces when restoration is not possible, and the remaining raw materials are recycled to reduce waste.
The sources for this piece include an article in TechSpot.