{"id":2473,"date":"2021-03-11T07:51:06","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T06:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpethzprd.ethz.ch\/its\/?p=2473"},"modified":"2021-03-11T07:51:07","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T06:51:07","slug":"disposing-of-eth-data-safely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethz.ch\/its\/2021\/03\/11\/disposing-of-eth-data-safely\/","title":{"rendered":"Disposing of ETH data safely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Create data \u2013 save data \u2013 delete data \u2013 dispose of media<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Destroying
Destroying data irretrievably in an environmentally friendly manner<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

At ETH Zurich, data carriers are disposed of in the System Services (ITS SD) and IT Service Delivery (ITS SDL) departments. This means that the ETH media that is no longer needed must be safely destroyed using formal procedural instructions. The aim is to prevent any unauthorised publication, alteration, removal or destruction of information stored on the media. Data carriers must be mechanically destroyed (grain size < 2 mm) and the disposal must be traceable. Using the serial number, there must be end-to-end documentation and proof that the storage media was really destroyed. A specialised company is commissioned to provide this evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If tapes and hard disks can still be written to before disposal, they are first overwritten with random data. Then, they are physically destroyed by a shredder in a professional and certified manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safe and certified disposal of data and media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For once, we were given the chance to witness destruction of this kind on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dismantling the StorageTek SL 8500 Library<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The SL 8500 Library, delivered in December 2005, was dismantled in ETH\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s HPV building in August 2020. A total of 5,500 T10000 cartridges were removed and disposed of. The last of the T10000 cartridges had a maximum capacity of 500 GB. With the newly purchased tape library including new drives, 20 TB (RAW) can be written per cartridge: 40 times more capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"T10000
T10000 cartridges (<\/em>1,511 kg) awaiting destruction<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5,500 tapes are awaiting disposal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In order to safely destroy the old ETH data carriers, they were sent off to the shredding plant in Regensdorf. Huge halls with materials and scrap of all kinds awaited us. Everything was oversized. From the premises to the excavators and the conveyor belts. Plus a lot of noise. A whole other world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Safety
Safety first: light vests and helmets are compulsory for everyone in the shredding plant<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The lorry with the pallets arrived, and the next step was the conveyor belt. Of course, everything was monitored by the data erasure centre, who also issued a certificate of successful deletion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The conveyor belt transports the cartridges directly into the shredder<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shredder confetti<\/h2>\n\n\n\n