THE CRUNCH · EPISODE 01 · 0:32 · DATA DESTRUCTION

The SSD Trap

THE CRUNCH · EP 01

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Here's the myth that fails more disposal programs than any other: running retired SSDs through a degausser. Degaussers destroy data by eliminating magnetic fields — and flash memory doesn't have any. The data on a degaussed SSD is completely intact.

Software overwrites aren't reliable either. SSDs use wear leveling and overprovisioned cells, which means there are regions of storage that an overwrite tool never touches — no matter how many passes it runs.

What actually works, per NIST SP 800-88: firmware sanitize and block-erase commands with verification, cryptographic erase where encryption was enforced, or physical destruction at a particle size appropriate for flash chips.

CYBERCRUNCH · NAID AAA · R2v3 · RIOS · PA DEP

Is your sanitization SOP flash-aware?

If your process predates your SSD fleet, the guide's media-by-media decision table will catch it in five minutes.

Read the 800-88 section Get the checklist