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nourdine
Asked: 2019-05-15 01:16:28 +0800 CST

Encrypted ssd formatting

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I have an encrypted ssd (that I need to sell) and I need to format it.

Can I assume that previous data, after a normal format (no shredding), will be not be accessible anymore due to the fact that encryption was in place? Or is same sort of safe erasure still required to assure that data are really lost for good?

encryption format ssd

2 Answers

  1. If the ssd was encrypted correctly and the keys are not stored on it in plaintext for whatever reasons, the encryption will be enough and you don't even need to format it.
    If you have doubts regarding the encryption process, you should do a safe erasure.

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  2. Formatting, data shredding or overwriting can not ensure data sanitization on a SSD, because of wear-leveling mechanisms. If the key was not stored on the drive, you are good to go. If the key was stored on the drive (for instance a laptop drive with LUKS). You would need to research if your drive supports ATA Secure Erasure, and if it is known to truly perform secure erasure as intended.

    At the end of the day, it is more a question of risk management. If the risk incurred by the data loss is higher than the price of a second hand SSD, you may prefer to destroy the disk altogether.

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