Efficiently sanitizing a solid state drive (SSD)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10589286-B2
Application number	US-201514831370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Aug 20, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A low-cost, portable, destructive sanitization method for solid state drives (SSDs) is provided. Preferably, an SSD is destroyed by disintegration within a given time period (approximately 30 minutes or less) using a blending device operating at a given peak power, e.g., greater than 450 W. A pulverizing agent may be admixed with pieces of an SSD printed circuit board prior to initiating the disintegration process to increase the number of particle collisions in a processing/blending chamber. The pulverizing agent may also contain moisture that mitigates suspension of processed SDD particles in the surrounding air (when the mixing chamber is opened). The overall process may be video-recorded for compliance purposes.

First claim

Having described our invention, what we now claim is as follows:

1. A method to destroy a solid state drive (SSD) printed circuit board (PCB) for information security, comprising:
admixing an SSD PCB together with a pulverizing agent to create an admixture;
blending, for a given time period, and within a blending chamber of a blender, the admixture to form a particulate powder, wherein the blending is carried out over a given power range of the blender;
following the given time period, placing the particulate powder in a sieve having openings of a given size, wherein particulates of the particulate powder less than the given size pass through the sieve;
repeating at least the blending operation until such time as no particulates greater than the given size exist in the admixture;
wherein the pulverizing agent also adds moisture content to the admixture, thereby inhibiting aerial particulate suspension and escape of the particulates upon opening of a lid of the blending chamber.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the given size is less than or equal to 2 mm.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the given power range is 240-2400 W.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the given power range is greater than 450 W and less than 2400 W.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the blending chamber is translucent or transparent.

6. The method as described in claim 5 further including recording the blending to produce a proof of destruction.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the pulverizing agent is a corn-based filler material.

8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the corn-based filler material comprises popcorn seeds.

9. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the given time period is between one (1) and thirty (30) minutes.

10. The method as described in claim 1 further including cutting the SSD PCB into pieces prior to blending.

11. The method as described claim 1 wherein the blending operation is repeated using the particulate powder together with any particulates greater than the given size.

12. The method as described in claim 1 further including covering the blending chamber during the blending.

13. The method as described in claim 12 further including sealing a cover to the blending chamber to prevent escape of particulates.

14. The method as described in claim 1 further including covering the blending chamber with a glove bag to inhibit aerial dissemination of the particulates.

15. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the sieve evaluates whether any particulates greater than the given size exist following an iteration of the blending.

16. A method of disintegration of an electronic memory that stores information, comprising:
receiving a solid state drive (SSD) device;
separating an SSD printed circuit board (PCB) from the solid state drive device;
cutting the SSD PCB into pieces;
admixing the pieces of an SSD PCB together with a pulverizing agent to form an admixture;
blending, for a given time period, and within a blending chamber, the admixture to form a particulate powder, wherein the blending is carried out over a given power range;
following the given time period, testing the particulate powder to determine whether any particulates greater than a given size exist; and
based on the testing, repeating at least the blending operation until such time as no particulates greater than the given size exist in the admixture;
wherein the pulverizing agent also adds moisture content to the admixture, thereby inhibiting aerial particulate suspension and escape of the particulates upon opening of a lid of the blending chamber.

17. The method as described in claim 16 wherein the given size is less than 2 mm.

18. The method as described in claim 16 wherein the given power range is 240-2400 W.

19. The method as described in claim 18 wherein the given power range is greater than 450 W and less than 2400 W.

Assignees

• Akamai Tech Inc

Inventors

• Hopkins Brandon J
• Riggle Kevin A

Classifications

• B02C18/12

  with drive arranged below container {(B02C18/083 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B02C18/144

  with axially elongated knives · CPC title

• B02C18/143

  with a disc rotor having generally radially extending slots or openings bordered with cutting knives · CPC title

• B02C2018/0015

  for disintegrating CDs, DVDs and/or credit cards · CPC title

• G06F2221/2143

  Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen · CPC title