On Fri, 12 Aug 2005, Phil Stracchino wrote:

On the other hand, do you want to PHYSICALLY ERASE the tape and all data
on it to make sure it cannot be trivially recovered off the tape by
someone you don't wish to have it?  Buy a bulk eraser, but be aware that
someone who's really determined and has the right equipment can still
recover the data.

A _good_ bulk eraser will make forensic recovery almost impossible when coupled with correct erasure techniques.

HOWEVER..... NEVER USE A BULK ERASER ON LTO TAPES UNLESS DEAD.

LTOs (and some other formats) have a servo track on them. Hitting them with a bulk eraser renders them completely unusable.

If that's not good enough for you, and you want the data on the tape
guaranteed unrecoverable even using a SQUID, physically destroy the tape
by incineration.

If you take this route they must be destroyed in a furnace hot enough to
burn the plastic cleanly or toxic compounds will be given off (PVC gives off carcinogenic fumes even when burned correctly, but I don't believe any current tape technologies or casings use PVC).

We dispose of our old tapes in medical waste incinerators but this is lmited to very small amounts - the odd tape every so often. I've just seen a steelmaking technique which uses waste plastic to obtain carbon and this may also be a suitable method of disposal (thoughts of Terminator 2 spring to mind...)

AB


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