How can I erase data from SSDs?

A versatile and reliable mass storage device, the Solid-State Drive (SSD) has transitioned from a boutique product to one of mainstream consumer and enterprise use, functioning as a direct replacement for the traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD). Driven by the SSD’s improved performance, reliability, small size, and high density, SSD shipments reached around 200 million units in 2019, with predictions of it reaching as high as 540 million units by 2023.

 As SSDs continue to grow in popularity, information technology (IT) asset managers and IT asset disposal specialists (ITADs) will face several challenges with securely erasing data from SSDs set for retirement, reassignment, or disposal. Unlike its mechanical disk counterpart, the HDD, an SSD employs flash memory that complicates the full removal of data using methods established for HDDs.  

 Also, because the SSD market has grown so rapidly, it has been saturated by a large number of vendors, each with its own array of SSD models that often vary in terms of their operational processes. This lack of standardization further complicates erasure, especially given the speed at which SSDs continue to evolve.

 For enterprise IT asset managers, as well as third party recyclers and the ITADs that support them, it is Important to understand SSD technology, why SSD erasure is challenging, and the importance of choosing an effective erasure product with detailed reporting capabilities.

 Our latest report investigates these challenges and the solutions you should implement to get around them.

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