Erase Hard Disk
Wipe Parameters

7. Erase/Wipe Parameters and Application Settings

Whether you choose to erase data from the drive or to wipe data from unoccupied drive space, the methods of overwriting over these spaces are the same.

7.1 Erase/Wipe Methods

1 - One Pass Zeros

When using One Pass Zeros, the number of passes is fixed and cannot be changed. When the write head passes through a sector, it writes only zeros (0x00 characters).

2 - One Pass Random

When using One Pass Random, the number of passes is fixed and cannot be changed. When the write head passes through a sector, it writes series of random characters.

3 - User Defined

You indicate the number of times the write head passes over each sector. Each overwriting pass is performed with a buffer containing the pattern you specified (ASCII string).

4 - US DoD 5220.22-M

The write head passes over each sector three times. The first time is with zeros (0x00), the second time with 0xFF and the third time with random characters. There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

5 - US DoD 5220.22-M (ECE)

The write head passes over each sector seven times (0x00, 0xFF, Random, 0x96, 0x00, 0xFF, Random). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

6 - US DoE M205.1-2 (US Department of Energy M205.1-2)

The write head passes over each sector seven times (Random, Random, 0x00). There is one final pass to verify zeros by reading.

7 - Canadian OPS-II

The write head passes over each sector seven times (0x00, 0xFF, 0x00, 0xFF, 0x00, 0xFF, Random). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

8 - Canadian CSEC ITSG-06

The write head passes over each sector three times (0xFF, 0x00, Random). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

9 - German VSITR

The write head passes over each sector seven times . (0x00, 0xFF, 0x00, 0xFF, 0x00, 0xFF, 0xAA). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

10 - Russian GOST p50739-95

The write head passes over each sector two times. (0x00, Random). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

11 - US Army AR380-19

The write head passes over each sector three times. The first time with 0xFF, second time with zeros (0x00) and the third time with random characters. There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

12 - US Air Force 5020

The write head passes over each sector three times. The first time with random characters, second time with zeros (0x00) and the third time with 0xFF. There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

13 - British HMG IS5 Baseline

Baseline method overwrites disk's surface with just zeros (0x00).

There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

14 - British HMG IS5 Enhanced

Enhanced method - the write head passes over each sector three times. The first time with zeros (0x00), second time with 0xFF and the third time with random characters.

There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

15 - Navso P-5329-26 RL

RL method - the write head passes over each sector three times (0x01, 0x27FFFFFF, Random).

There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

16 - Navso P-5329-26 MFM

MFM method - the write head passes over each sector three times (0x01, 0x7FFFFFFF, Random).

There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

17 - NCSC-TG-025

The write head passes over each sector three times (0x00, 0xFF, Random). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

18 - NSA 130-2

The write head passes over each sector two times (Random, Random). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

19 - Bruce Schneier

The write head passes over each sector seven times (0xFF, 0x00, Random, Random, Random, Random, Random). There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.

20 - Gutmann

The write head passes over each sector 35 times. For details about this, the most secure data clearing standard, you can read the original article at the link below: www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/secure_del.html

21, 22, 23 - NIST 800-88

Supported three NIST 800-88 media sanitization standards:

1. The write head passes over each sector one time (0x00).

2. The write head passes over each sector one time (Random).

3. The write head passes over each sector three times (0x00, 0xFF, Random).

For details about this,the most secure data clearing standard, you can read the original article at the link below: http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-88/NISTSP800-88_with-errata.pdf

24 - Australian ISM-6.2.93

The write head passes over each sector once with random characters. There is one final pass to verify random characters by reading.