Secure Erase is a process for securely deleting data that follows standards developed by the Defense Security Service (DSS). These standards were developed to solve the problem of secure and permanent removal of data, and this capability is now used by many commercial enterprises. These standards require multiple passes to erase data. In the process of erasing, the system overwrites data with zeros, a random pattern of data, or ones (1s) to make the original contents unreadable.
In the DR Series system, two modes of secure erase have been adopted: 3-pass and 7-pass standards.
3 passes (US DoD 5220.22-M (C))
Pass 1: Writing zeros.
Pass 2: Writing pseudo random pattern.
Pass 3: Writing ones.
7 passes (US DoD 5220.22-M (ECE))
Pass 1-3: Writing pattern according to the 3-pass mode.
Pass 4: Writing a pseudo random pattern.
Pass 5-7: Writing pattern according to the 3-pass mode.
The Secure Erase process can be completed at the system level by using the DR Series system CLI. This feature securely erases all data with a 3-pass or 7-pass mode and runs during the system initialization. This method erases all of the stored data while keeping the system in tact. See the DR Series System Command Line Reference Guide for more information.
NOTE: This capability is not supported on the DR2000v.