Securing Defense Data: A Case Study on the Implementation of UD info's 2.5" SATA SSD with Physical Destroy Feature
Introduction
Data security and integrity are paramount in the defense industries. One of our esteemed clients in Europe, specializing in the defense sector, required a specialized solution for their protected computers in military bases. These computers, frequently utilized in crucial operations and strategic planning, demanded enhanced performance and exceptional durability.
UD info’s 2.5" SATA SSD significantly boosted this performance. However, due to the sensitive nature of the data, there was a unique requirement for the SSD to possess a physical destroy feature, ensuring complete data erasure when necessary. For HDDs, data erasing often involves methods such as degaussing or shredding. However, these methods are less effective for SSDs due to their different construction and data storage mechanisms. The physical destruction of storage devices is one approach to achieving this goal of data removal.
Challenges :
- Complex Architecture : SSDs consist of multiple NAND flash chips. Destroying the controller or a few chips does not guarantee that all data is unrecoverable. Each chip must be thoroughly destroyed. Besides, the hidden data may reside in various locations within the SSD, including overprovisioned areas and bad block management areas. Complete destruction requires ensuring all these areas are addressed.
- Resilience of NAND Flash Memory: NAND flash memory is designed to be resilient. Physical destruction methods must be thorough enough to break down the chips to a molecular level and destroy NAND ICs. Data can persist in NAND cells even after physical damage. Specialized techniques are often required to ensure data is irretrievable. These challenges were to integrate physical destruction functions into the SSD, ensuring that data is completely erased upon activation.
Solutions
To meet the specific requirements, UD info leveraged its extensive experience in designing industrial-grade SSDs. The team thoroughly tested and modified the SSD's firmware and specifications to enable the physical destruction feature. This feature allows users to issue a command to the SSD, which then triggers a high voltage burn of the NAND FLASH IC, ensuring complete data erasure and solving the data security problem.
Results
The physical destruction of SSDs presents unique challenges due to the complex architecture and resilience. Addressing these challenges requires a safe and secure destruction techniques, compliance with safety regulations.
UD info’s technical team successfully integrated the physical destruction capability into the SSD. This feature ensures the complete erasure of data, significantly enhancing system security and eliminating potential data security risks. This case study highlights UD info’s dedication to providing customized solutions that meet the unique needs of its clients, particularly in high-security environments like the defense. Same advanced technology into SD card. It allows us to help our customers achieve comprehensive data protection across a wider range of devices.