Reliably Erasing Data from Flash-Based Solid State Drives

[Christopher Chan]

On Tuesday, March 01, 2011 10:49 PM, Liam Proven wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 3:13 AM, NoOp<glgxg at sbcglobal.net>  wrote:
>> On 02/28/2011 04:43 PM, Liam Proven wrote:
>>> On Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 5:25 AM, Juan R. de Silva
>> ...
>>>> I've recently discarded an old HDD containing some data on it. Here what
>>>> I usually do. I disassemble the device, remove its plate/s and smash them
>>>> in pieces physically. Pliers and a hummer are very helpful. After this I
>>>> sleep well. :-)
>>>>
>>>> I think this "technology" though not being very High would resolve the
>>>> problem with any SSD or USB flash drive too. :-)
>>>
>>> DBAN is easier, quicker, less work and /more/ secure. Physical
>>> destruction merely makes the data harder to recover, not impossible.
>>>
>>> http://www.dban.org/
>>
>> You might want to research that a little more. Erase an SSD with private
>> data on it&  then send it to me, or sell it on eBay. I prefer Jaun's
>> method instead.
>
> Au contraire. I suggest that you do.
>
> SSDs can be more easily and effectively erased than magnetic media,
> and are currently a lot more expensive and thus foolish to destroy in
> the hopes of erasing the information.
>
> Magnetic tracks have overspill, which a skilled data-recovery lab can
> use to reconstruct the information even after a single overwrite.
>
> Multiple overwrites - which is the /raison d'etre/ of DBAN - are much harder.
>
> TTBOMK a Flash memory cell, like any other memory, holds binary data.
> If that data is replaced, the original is gone. No multiple passes
> needed. The only issue is any reserved capacity, so for a whole SSD,
> you would need to fill it with random numbers in random order a few
> times, running TRIM on it between times, then zero it.
>
> I would not be surprised if Darik of DBAN fame was on the case.
>
>

Best be safe in case there is quantum leakage. Mix it all together by 
turning it into glass!