NSM160 Password HDD's?

[p02953]

Hi,

After serveral years we've decided to purchase new storage, before we can go futher we need to wipe the disks in the NSM160, all data on it is from several departments, like HR, Legal Management and our board.

The disk wipe is necessary and we need the certificate to proof there isn't any data on the disks.

RAID configuration change is not an option because we don't have the certificate that proofs the data is/was wiped from the disks. We've got in total 12 NSM160 storage systems.

Hopefully someone could help me with this problem.

Greetings,

Dennis.

[oikjn]

well you are correct that a raid change is not enough to really destroy your data for a really motivated person.  The better thing to do is use a program on a computer that has access to the LUNs in question and do a full wipe of each LUN.  Then if you want to be paranoid, you can delete all the LUNs and then make one (or a few) huge thick LUNs with full provisioning and then repeat that secure erase....  then if you want to go a step further, you can pull each drive and wipe each drive individually.

As for "certification", it all depends on who is making the requirement and whom they accept a certificate from.  Do you need an accredited company to provide the certificate or is it just enough for you to write a quick letter stating that you certify that the data was destroyed...  both options provide "certification", its just a matter if whomever is requiring you to certify the destruction will accept your perrsonal certification.

If you need an approved destroyer, you should ask whomever is making the requirement to provide a list of approved suppliers.

[p02953]

Hi oikjn,

Thanks for your answer, requirements from our organization and the legal deparment in particular is that an accredited company, in the Netherlands, all data on the disk must be wiped and delivers them a certificate of proof.

To do this is the password necessary to wipe the disk.

[oikjn]

no password required...  they shouldn't even need the shelf as each disk needs to be wiped.  Personally, before giving them the disks, I would do a software based wipe of the LUNs first before I gave them the disk.  Then its just pull the disks, and give them to the people who will certify they are destroyed in a manner acceptible to your requirements.

[p02953]

No Password required?

I've done the LUN Wipe, change the RAID and after that the company who is responsible for the disk wipe, an accredited company, ask me for the password, beacause there software can't wipe the disks.

This company is working with us for several years now and we need the certification,  there never have been an issue with the disk and storage equipment through all the years.

Hopefully there is an solution for this.

Greetings.

[oikjn]

Strange.

Are you saying that they tried and can't force their access and wipe disks individually with a low level format?

Sounds like they want to just do a software wipe of the LUNs which really can't gaurantee data distruction on a SAN unless the SAN supports some internal secure wipe feature.

Not sure what benefit this company provides other than the certification here which unless they are really cheap I would look elsewhere.

I did a quick search and found Krollontrack.com http://www.krollontrack.com/information-management/data-erasure-solutions/erasure-software/ .  Sounds like the people you are going to aren't doing any more than that software and maybe this is enough for your company.  (Do your research on Krollontrack...  I've never used it or dealt with them, just found them searching for "accredited secure erase")