How do you safely and securely reformat/wipe SSD's?

I'm getting ready to sell a couple of SSD's and I want to safely and securely wipe the data on them before they go to their new owners. Does anyone know the proper way/method to accomplish this?

I've read that it's not good for SSD's to be reformatted like you would with traditional mechanical hard drives, so I'm not sure what else is available to get the same results with an SSD.

Any help would be greatly apprecaited! =)

 

Secure Erase, as indicated by the name.

 

Sometimes the SSD manufacturer delivers a tool to do this. Check what software you got with the drive or whether there's something on the manufacturers homepage.

Otherwise this would also be an option: https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase

But that's for Linux systems. Though you could use a live disc and do it this way.

 

As latest news state : Data remains on Flash and SSD after secure erase:
https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/12153-Data-Remains-on-USB-and-SSDs-After-Secure-Erase.html This is why some Enterprise SSDs have background encryption. BIG question for me is ... how the hell TRIM works? If data remains ?

 

The reporter doesn't know what he is talking about or you have used the term 'secure erase' too loosely.

SE usually means specific ATA command that is done at the drive level and not the described 'writing zeros over the whole device'.

That means, if it is HDD, the HDD firmware may write zeros over the platters(or other means).

If it is an SSD, the SSD controller would apply a very high voltage(18v or so) which would reset the logic gate.

However, encryption like bitlocker is still a good idea.

 

I'm aware about difference with SE and "over-writting" alghorithms. I meant that technology used in some SSDs (like RAISE) could contain data in different flash modules despite havig SE/ Trim of whatever - in effect if you sell your used SSD you are not 100% sure that data was removed.

If it is an SSD, the SSD controller would apply a very high voltage(18v or so) which would reset the logic gate. -this is only assumption I think only manufacturers know how they implement it.

 

SE via ATA is a 'contract'. If the vendor doesn't implement it properly, they have liability.

 

I don't think you can ever be 100% sure all data was removed from anything - I remember reading an article a few years back where they discovered that tiny fragments of data could still be recovered from a professionally degaussed HDD using criminology lab tools.

 

easy, hydrochloric acid or blender then buy a new one then sell it

 

Sooo, not to revive a seemingly dead thread, but the consensus here is that Secure Erase is the most recommended way to wipe an SSD, but is not guaranteed to wipe it 100%?

I find this curiously odd, if in fact that this is the case, that Secure Erase would be unable to completely wipe an SSD.

 

Secure Erase is unable to completely wipe certain SSD's...

 

That was from a study which the researcher refuse to disclose what SSD has bug in SE. I would not take it too seriously. A round of random full disk overwritten(mainly for SF) + SE would be enough.

For those that is so paranoid, use full disk encryption from day 1.

It is not SE cannot wipe an SSD(that is what SE is designed for), it is certain SSD has bugs in handling the SE command.

 

chimpanzee,

...

which in the end amounts to the same thing...

 

It is, though I don't want people to get the impression that SE is not safe. SE is fundamentally the only way to ensure proper erasing of content(HDD or SSD). IOW, I would trust that I can SE my X25M with just SE

 

I appreciate the clarification on the attributes of Secure Erase, much thanks! Can anyone provide the "official" link of where to acquire/download Secure Erase? My McAfee SiteAdvisor plug-in is telling me that the link to the utility is not safe to access...

 

See:
CMRR - Secure Erase


Yeah, **** SiteAdvisor=Garbage (only slows down your surfing...).

 

Thanks for the link! If it were up to me, I wouldn't use SiteAdvisor on my PC either, but it's a work computer and I have zero control over what's installed on it.

 

There is a cure for work imposed limitations: buy the company.

Glad that link worked for you.