You have older IT assets; tapes – DTL or LTO. Maybe you don’t need them any more, maybe you’ve moved the data into the cloud, or you’re just looking at a stack of old duplicates. If you’re reading this, you might be getting serious about LTO tape destruction.
These tapes can contain sensitive information, and perhaps you have a fiduciary responsibility to insure that data doesn’t get out in the clear. We have the solution:
Destruction versus recycling:
Re-selling your old magnetic media stored on DLT tapes and LTO tapes in a secondary market can turn into a living nightmare for you if there’s so much as a bit of your legacy data left on any of them.
Degaussing doesn’t just scramble your data. It re-organizes tape at the atomic level, polarizing every last bit of it. This includes any data on servo tracks. This is adequate for recycling. For total data security, you’ll want to shred your tapes thereafter.
The key is a sufficiently strong pulse intensity. In LTO tape destruction we recommend a minimum of 10,000 Gauss (1 Tesla). With our more powerful models, you can enjoy dual-pulse degaussing at 2 Tesla or better. That intensity will annihilate any magnetic media in existence. Which strength you chose is directly related to the manufacturer recommendations on the tapes you have. Be aware that we do manufacture machines which can destroy anything regardless.
Tapes degrade over time and use. If your plan is to re-use media you’ve degaussed, the T-1.5 degausser might be a good fit for you. If your aim is total unrecoverable data destruction, have a look at our T-4 degausser model, and consider using it in combination with the Proton PDS88 Shredder.
In conclusion, you should take pains to record exactly what it is you’ve destroyed in your LTO tape destruction activities, and when. We offer solutions for that as well. If you’d like to discuss them, start a chat with us.
