Hard disk drives (or HDDs) and solid state drives (or SSDs) vary considerably in terms of their storage space, mechanisms, lifespan, reliability, and performance. If you need to destroy the data they contain, there are also different techniques you must use.
In this article, we will explain how HDDs and SSDs store information and what the advantages are for each kind of drive. We will also go through everything you need to do if you’re required to get rid of their data – including erasing, degaussing, and physically destroying them using a hard drive destruction device.
In this article, we will unravel the significance of four key guidelines: NIST SP 800-88r1, IEEE 2883-2022, NSA/CSS – 9-12, and DIN 66399. We will explain what each one says, decode their implications, and shed light on the measures you will have to uphold data security levels. We will then cover the different sanitization methods and how they can be used for data deletion and explore various options for storage media, including optical media and magnetic media data.
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The Difference Between HDDs and SSDs
There are two main types of computer drives: Hard disk drives and solid state drives. While they both serve the same basic purpose of storing data (including your computer’s operating system, files, and applications), there are some key differences. So, let’s compare and contrast HDD vs SSD in terms of their performance and features in some more detail.
What’s an HDD or Hard Drive?
A hard disk drive (also known as HDD storage) is a storage device consisting of spinning platters that contain compartments capable of holding data. An actuator arm moves across this platter to find specific tracks and read or write the requested information. To make this process more efficient, the platter also spins as the arm scans the surface.
The compartments of a hard disk drive are spread out all over the platter, so it’s not written sequentially. This means that the actuator arm needs to use an indexing system to allow it to find the pertinent information.
The mechanisms inside a hard disk drive are rather delicate, so they need to be covered by a steel case to prevent any damage.
Types of Hard Disk Drives
There are several different types of Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) that are commonly used in computers and other digital devices. The main ones include:
- 5-inch Desktop HDDs: 3.5-inch drives are the most common type of HDD, particularly for desktop computers. These drives have a capacity of between 500GB and 16TB and can operate at speeds of 5,400 RPM or 7,200 RPM.
- 5-inch Laptop HDDs: The smaller and typically less expensive HDDs are used in laptops and other portable devices. Because of their size, they usually have a lower capacity than desktop HDDs (their typical sizes range from 120GB to 2TB).
- Enterprise HDDs: These HDDs, which typically have a capacity of up to 16TB or more, are designed for use in data centers and other high-performance computing environments. They also operate at higher speeds than desktop or laptop HDDs.
- External HDDs: These are HDDs that are housed in an external case and connected to a computer or other device via a USB or Thunderbolt port. They are commonly used for backup and data storage purposes and are available in a range of capacities and speeds.
- Solid State Hybrid Drives (or SSHDs): These hybrid drives combine a small amount of high-speed solid-state storage space with a larger, slower HDD. While the solid-state portion of the drive can be used as a cache to improve performance, the HDD technology provides a larger amount of storage space at a lower cost.
- Network Attached Storage Drives (or NAS): These HDDs are designed specifically for use in network-attached storage devices and optimized for 24/7 operation. They also have a high capacity, so they can store large amounts of data in a network environment.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Hard Disk Drives
HDDs have several advantages – and also a few downsides. Some of the benefits that make this type of drive a good choice for many users are:
- HDDs can hold a large amount of data and are cheaper: Although the specific number will vary depending on the size of the drive, generally speaking, hard disk drives offer good storage capacity for a low price.
- HDDs are widely supported: Hard disk drives are usually compatible with various different operating systems and devices, making them an excellent choice if you’re looking for a more versatile storage solution.
- HDDs are reliable and have a long lifespan: While hard disk drives are not as durable as their SSD counterparts (more on this in the next collection of bullet points), modern HDDs can have a long lifespan if they are correctly maintained.
Hard disk drives offer a good balance of performance, capacity, and cost – but they also have some disadvantages. For instance:
- HDDs have slow read/write speeds: Compared to other storage options, hard disk drives are slower to read and write, which can result in more boot times, longer load times, and reduced overall performance.
- HDDs are durable only to some extent: Hard disk drives are susceptible to physical damage due to their mechanical nature. For example, dropping one can cause damage to the spinning disks or moving read/write heads. This, in turn, can result in data loss or drive failure. Because hard disk drives are made of moving parts, there is a larger chance of these degrading or eventually failing.
- HDDs consume more power: Hard disk drives require a significant amount of power to operate (at least compared to other storage devices). This can lead to higher energy costs.
What’s an SSD or Solid State Drive?
A solid state drive (or SSD) is a newer generation of storage devices capable of saving data using an integrated circuit or flash-based memory. This flash memory has data written, transferred or eased electronically.
An SSD is made up of multiple NAND chips, each consisting of a cell that can store electrical charges (which are used to represent binary data – either 0 or 1). The cells are grouped into pages and blocks. When a solid state drive writes data, the controller sends electrical pulses to these cells, which in turn stores it using electrical charges. Similarly, when the drive needs to read information, it just checks the charges and converts them back to binary.
Types of Solid State Drives
There are two main types of solid state drives commonly used (SATA and NVMe), and three specialty SSDs. The complete list is as follows:
- SATA solid state drives: These drives are based on the SATA (or Serial ATA) interface. They are relatively affordable and widely available in the market, making them a very popular choice among consumers.
- NVMe solid state drives: These SSDs are based on the NVMe (or Non-Volatile Memory Express) interface. Designed for high-performance computing applications, NVMe SSDs are faster than SATA SSDs and can offer significantly higher read and write speeds – the reason why they are a good option for demanding workloads.
- 2 solid state drives: These are SSDs that use the U.2 interface, which is similar to the SATA interface but offers higher speeds and some more bandwidth.
- 2 solid state drives: These drives are small, compact, and use the M.2 interface. Because of their size and weight, they are more common in laptops and mobile devices.
- PCIe solid state drives: These SSDs use the PCIe (or Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) interface, which offers even higher speeds and more bandwidth than NVMe SSDs. PCIe solid state drives are often utilized in data center applications where high-performance computing is required.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Solid State Drives
Unlike HDDs, SSDs have no moving parts, which makes them a faster and more durable option. But there’s more to it, so let’s see the benefits and downsides of SSDs in some more detail. On the upside:
- SSDs are faster: When it comes to read or write speeds, solid state drives are much faster than HDDs. This means that the data can be accessed and transferred more quickly, something that, of course, also translates into faster boot times, better load times, and improved system performance.
- SSDs are very durable: Because SSDs have no moving parts, they are less prone to mechanical failure or damage than HDDs. So, solid state drives can withstand more physical shock and vibration without losing data or failing completely. SSDs are also more resistant to temperature extremes, making them suitable for use in harsh environments.
- SSDs are more energy efficient: SSDs consume less power than HDDs, which means they are more energy-efficient because they generate less heat and use less battery power. When installed in laptops and mobile devices, this results in longer battery life and reduced usage costs.
Now for the disadvantages of solid state drives, these include:
- SSDs cost more: Because solid state drives are faster and more durable, they also tend to cost more than their HDD counterparts (especially when it comes to higher-capacity drives). If you have large storage needs, the cost can actually be unsustainable.
- SSDs have a limited lifespan: Solid state drives wear out over time, so they have a limited writing cycle span. This problem deepens if the drive is used heavily. More modern SSDs, though, are more durable and have fewer issues with lifespan.
- SSDs can make it hard to recover data: Due to solid state drives’ use of complex algorithms and wear-leveling techniques to store and manage data, it can be harder to recover information from an SSD compared to an HDD. Some SSDs can also suffer from catastrophic failures that make it impossible to restore data at all.
When Would You Use an HDD Or SSD?
There are a few different factors to keep in mind if you’re trying to decide whether you should use an HDD or an SSD for your storage needs. For example, if you’re upgrading a laptop or computer and you want to prioritize load and boot times, you would probably choose an SSD. However, if you need a large amount of storage space and cannot pay for the premium, you’d go for an HDD.
Servers or data centers and gaming PCs tend to use solid state drives as they reduce load times and improve system performance. However, it’s common to combine both types of drives to, for example, use hard disk drives to store certain information that doesn’t need to be frequently accessed.
Lastly, because SSDs are generally faster, lighter, more energy-efficient, and smaller, they are the preferred storage technology for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
In summary, whether you should use a solid state drive or a hard disk drive will depend on your specific needs and your available budget.
While SSDs are usually faster, more durable, and more efficient, they are also more expensive per gigabyte. HDDs, on the other hand, offer more capacity for a lower cost but are also slower and consume more power.
Data Destruction for HDDs and SSDs
Several industries and sectors have been increasing their requirements for destroying the data stored in hard drives (something that applies to both hard disk drives and solid state drives, both of which need to be dealt with using a hard drive destruction machine).
The goal of these regulations is to ensure organizations and companies can standardize physical and logical data destruction and ensure all information is securely disposed of.
For example:
- In the healthcare industry, several acts like HIPAA in the United States aim to safeguard the privacy of protected health information, making it mandatory to protect patient data and delete diagnoses, treatments, and social security numbers.
- In the banking and finance industry, many regulations and standards mandate companies to destroy financial data about customers and clients, typically by doing hard drive data destruction.
- In defense services, numerous standards specify ways in which highly secure data needs to be destroyed. Several institutions, like the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, and the NSA have had these rules and laws in place for dozens of years. In fact, in these cases, drive destructions need to also be accompanied by a certificate of destruction.
Because of how each stores data, hard disk drives, and solid state drives have different requirements when it comes to destroying the information or the devices themselves. In the following sections, we will cover the three main methods of software-based erasure, degaussing, and physical media destruction.
Software-Based Erasure for HDDs and SSDs
Software-based erasure is a method that’s been around for years, which also means that new standards are being created and adopted all the time. This technique was originally designed for HDDs because, in most cases, it writes a pattern of data to each sector of the disk, overwriting the original data and making it unrecoverable.
For media like SSDs, however, this is not a good method for destruction because the software is not able to control the specific region the data is written to.
Some argue that using the TRIM command or other commands built into SSDs help ensure erasure, but this is not successful in removing all the data from the drive. So, while software-based erasure is an okay method for HDD destruction, it is not the best solution for SSDs.
Degaussing Drives
A second alternative to destroying data stored in hard drives is degaussing. Degaussers are devices that use a powerful permanent magnet to erase data from magnetic storage media. This includes hard drives, tapes, and floppy disks, to name a few. There are different types of degaussers, but they all use a degaussing coil to disrupt the magnetic orientation of the particles on the storage medium, effectively wiping the data from the drive.
Because degaussing can securely erase data from hard drives, it’s generally considered a more thorough technique than simply deleting the files on a drive or formatting it. Even forensic analysts won’t be able to access the information if a device is correctly degaussed. The reason is that degaussers don’t just erase applications or files; they also get rid of all residual data that is marked as unused.
A degaussed drive won’t be able to be reused, so most of them will typically be disposed of or recycled after the process.
Does Degaussing Work On SSDs?
Now, degaussing is a method designed to work with magnetic media, and as we covered above, SSDs use NAND-based flash memory to store the data. Thus, a degausser disrupting magnetic fields or magnetic domains will have no effect on a solid state drive.
Physical HDD and SSD Destruction Methods
There are many reasons why you might need to physically destroy a hard drive, but the three main ones tend to be:
- Security: Suppose you’re upgrading your computer systems and need to dispose of the old hard drives – which contain sensitive data such as customer information, trade secrets, or financial or healthcare records. To prevent this information from falling into the wrong hands, you will want to destroy the media in a way that ensures nobody will be able to recover it, no matter what means they use.
- Legal compliance: Many companies are subjected to legal and regulatory requirements that mandate how they need to securely destroy certain types of data, such as medical records, personal information, and financial data. Failing to comply with these requirements can result in fines, penalties, or legal action.
- Intellectual property projection: Many businesses need to destroy their hard drives because they contain proprietary information or trade secrets, such as designs, software code, or research data.
In summary, the safest way to ensure the data stored in a drive is made inaccessible and irretrievable is to use a hard drive destroyer machine or hard drive crushing machine to physically tear it down. In most cases, it’s better to use a data destruction service.
As we’ve seen, there are physical differences between hard disk drives and solid state drives. This means that if you need to break them down into small enough pieces, you might need to use specialized equipment.
Although there are dual-purpose HDD/SSD destroyers, they tend to include tradeoffs in terms of the performance of either mode and the need for adapters that diminish the functionality of the ancillary destruction mode. It is, therefore, better to use a specialized machine that can deal with sensitive data and top secret data erasure. These include:
- Shredders: Shredders are a cost-effective solution that can break down any storage medium into small electrical and mechanical components (these fragments can get as small as 2 mm in size). Many companies offer powerful shredding services.
- Disintegrators: Disintegrators are machines that use sharp knives to cut the drives into small slices (the pieces are so small they can fall through the disintegrator screen). Although slower than shredders, these machines give a much finer result.
Conclusion: HDDs vs SSDs and How To Erase Data Safely
Hard disk drives and solid state drives have many differences in how they store and retrieve data. While HDDs use spinning disks to read and write information, SSDs use NAND flash or instantly accessible memory chips and electric charges. As a result, SSDs are faster and consume less power than HDDs, with the downside that they also tend to be more expensive.
Choosing to use one over the other will depend on your specific requirements and needs; if you need speed, solid state drives are an excellent choice. However, if you require a larger storage capacity, hard disk drives will be cheaper.
Depending on the type of drive you use, you will also have different data destruction needs to ensure your stored information is made irretrievable.
In many cases (particularly if you work with sensitive data, such as financial or health records, customer information, or trade secrets), deleting files using software is not a reliable technique, as there are ways to revert this process or recover some of the data. A better way to ensure data security is to use a degausser. However, degaussers do not work on SSDs, HAMR, or MAMR drives because all of them use electronic charges to store data.
If you want to correctly sanitize an SSD (or an HDD, for that case), the best option is to recruit the help of data destruction companies that specialize in physical destruction. At Phiston Technologies, we carry different product lines for HDD and SSD destroyers that are reliable, compact, portable, fully automated, and OSHA workplace compliant.
The DIN 66399 standard divides data media categories into seven security levels (the higher the security level, the smaller the particles of your drive will need to be). All of our HDD crushers are an H4 level, and all of our SSD crushers are an E4 level. Our Disintegrators are rated E6, and our Dual Sanitizer (combined Degausser and Crusher) are the highest security level for magnetic drives as recommended by the NSA.
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