Secure deletion of information from hard disk drive
US7275139B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 2, 2004 |
| Grant date | Sep 25, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 19, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2143
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of securely deleting data from a storage medium includes generating a bitmap that corresponds to unused locations on the storage medium; initiating a background process that wipes the unused locations, where the background process runs asynchronously with a user application; wiping the unused locations; and updating the bitmap to reflect that the unused locations have been wiped. The wiping can also replace data at the unused locations with random sequences, with pseudo-random sequences, with data generated by a secure deletion algorithm, with application data from the user application, or with all zeros. The wiping can also include repeated writing of predetermined sequences to the unused locations. The unused locations correspond to blocks, clusters and/or sectors. The wiping can also replace data at unused locations that represent portions of any of blocks, clusters and sectors. The wiping can also include wiping any metadata associated with files previously stored at any of the unused locations. The bitmap can correspond to all unused locations on the storage medium. Upon a request for access of data from a wiped location, data that does not correspond to data original…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.