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Which NIST media sanitization method also leaves the media unusable for storing data afterward?

Destroy: data recovery is infeasible and the media can no longer store data.

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  1. Clear
  2. Destroy ✔
  3. Purge

Why: NIST defines three actions: Clear, Purge and Destroy. Clear and Purge leave the media reusable, while Destroy ruins it. Clear uses ordinary overwrite or reset commands, and Purge uses stronger techniques.

Huh, didn't know that: NIST says degaussing should not be used on flash storage such as SSDs.

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My old hard drive got the Destroy treatment. It's now an expensive paperweight with a great sense of closure.
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References

Answer: Destroy. NIST defines three actions: Clear, Purge and Destroy. Clear and Purge leave the media reusable, while Destroy ruins it. Clear uses ordinary overwrite or reset commands, and Purge uses stronger techniques.

  1. NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media Sanitization nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-88r2.pdf
    results in the subsequent inability to use the media to store data
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media Sanitization nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-88r2.pdf
    applies logical techniques to sanitize data in all user-addressable storage locations
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  3. NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media Sanitization nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-88r2.pdf
    Degaussing should not be used for non-magnetic ISM (e.g., flash storage, such as SSDs).
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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