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The Tip of the Night for April 28, 2022 discussed how degaussing disrupts the magnet ic field of hard drives and and tapes, erasing stored data. High volume degaussing devices exist which can erase hundreds of devices in an hour. Data Security, Inc. markets a machine which can both degauss and physically destroy drives fed into it on a conveyor belt.
Keep in mind that a solid state drive cannot be degaussed, because it does not store data magnetically.
The Tip of the Night for April 28, 2021 discussed Degaussing, which erases magnetic storage media by altering magnetic fields. Different drives and tapes will have varying 'coercivity'. Coercivity is the intensity of the magnetic field required to eliminate the magnetization of the storage device. Different kinds of magnetic media are classified into one of three types based on their oersted count - a unit of magnetic field strength.
Type I devices will have 350 oersteds or less. Type II magnetic media have between 350 and 750 oersteds. Type III storage devices will possess more than 750 Oe.
Not all Degaussers can erase every type of magnetic media. For example, the HP LTO-8 30 TB data tape cartridge, available here, has a magnetic coercivity of 2300 Oe.
A guide to Degaussers published by the National Security Agency in June 2019, NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List for
Magnetic Degaussers, rates Degaussers based on their Oe rating. As you can see, older model Degaussers will not be able to successfully erase this HP tape.
The oersted rating for a Degausser may differ based on whether the media being erased is a drive or a tape.
The R2 standard for the recycling and reuse of hardware and electronic media has been approved by ANSI, and is recognized by the EPA as a way to certify that electronics are securely disposed of.
The R2 Code of Practices is available here. Here's a brief rundown of its core principles:
A facility processing electronics for reuse and recycling must have its activities audited in order to achieve R2 certification.
Reuse is prioritized, with recycling of materials from electronics following second.
A Environmental, Health, and Safety Management System must put in place to avoid exposure to mercury, lead, beryllium, cadmium, PCBs, phosphor compounds, flame retardants, silica dust, and hexavalent chromium, as well as maintaining other precautions to avoid damage to workers health or the environment.
Develop a plan to comply with all applicable laws, and notify the R2 certification body within 30 days of receiving notice of a violation by a regulatory body.
Track throughput of electronics equipment, components, and materials, and not retain materials with a negative value for longer than a year.
Categorize all equipment, components, and materials that are processed.
Sanitize all data storage devices by methods specific to the type of storage as indicated in this table:
8. Certain focus materials, including Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, cathode ray tube glass, batteries, and circuit boards must be processed with special care to avoid harm to the environment or the health of workers.
9. Possess insurance to cover liabilities associated with the processing, and have financial resources to properly shut down operations.
10. Transport all electronic equipment, components and materials in a secure and safe manner.