US DoD 5220.22-M Data Wipe Standard – All You Need to Know
Published: April 18th, 2024 • 7 Min Read
Summary: Are you here for the US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard? If yes, then read this guide to learn everything you need to know about DoD 5220.22-M wiping standard and how to implement these standards to wipe mechanical drives.
Every organization wants to practice the best techniques for implementing data-wiping standards and data erasure standards. Across the decades, varied standards have been well-defined for data wiping and data erasure procedures. These standards act as torchbearers for safe and compliant media sanitization practices.
These standards are crucial for implementing data erasure effectively as they define the overwriting patterns and passes set by government agencies. Different countries have their own Data Erasure Standards. So are you curious about the US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard?
This write-up guides you on the US DoD 5220.22-M wiping standard in detail. When you get into the details of this article, you will learn how to implement these standards for erasing hard drives on a business scale with the help of the Department of Defence Data Erasure Software.
What is the US DoD 5220.22-M Wiping Standard?
US DoD 522.22-M is a globally accepted method for data erasure practiced worldwide by different government agencies, private organizations, and entrepreneurs to wipe media storage devices. This method was introduced by the U.S. Department of Defence in 1995 for those departments that require an extremely high level of security. Moreover, this standard became a benchmark for practicing secure data erasure activities as soon as it was introduced.
Working Process of US DoD 5220.22-M Data Wipe Standard
The working process of US DoD 5220.22-M wiping standard is based on the two versions of this standard. The two versions are the short version and the extended version. Hence, the working of this standard is based on overwriting the hard disk drives based on zeros and ones as binary values or patterns. The original version of this data wipe standard contained only three steps, known as three passes. However, in 2001, this data wipe standard was updated and includes seven passes. Let’s examine the working structure of both these patterns to the US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard.
Pattern of Working Based on DoD Short Wipe Method:
Pass One: All addressable locations are overwritten with binary Zeros.
Pass Two: Overwrite all the addressable locations with binary ones.
Pass Three: All addressable locations are overwritten with some random characters or random bit patterns.
Pattern of Working Based on DoD Long-Wipe Method:
Pass One: Overwrite all Addressable locations with Binary zeros.
Pass Two: Overwrite all Addressable locations with Binary Ones.
Pass Three: Overwrite all Addressable Locations with a Random Bit Pattern.
Pass Four: Overwrite all addressable locations with Binary Zeros.
Pass Fifth: Overwrite all addressable locations with Binary Zeros.
Pass Sixth: Overwrite All Addressable locations with Binary Ones.
Pass Seventh: Overwrite All addressable locations with a Random Bit Pattern.
Note: The three-pass method is still relevant and the most sought-after method for US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard.
Why Should You Use US DoD 5220.22-M Wiping Standard?
There are many international Data Wipe Standards available worldwide. Why should users choose US DoD 5220.22 m as a benchmark for the Data Wipe Method? What sets this method apart, and why should the users use the US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard? Although the different reasons that can be enumerated for this phenomenon are given below.
- Takes less time
US DoD 5220.22-M wiping standard is widely practiced as a global method because it takes less time to run on the system. Considering and comparing the other advanced solutions, we will find that this method is relatively less time-consuming and consists of fewer passes. Let’s take a cue from the Gutmann method. It has 35 passes, which contain not only zero and ones but other distinct passes.
- Industry Standard
Even though US DoD 5220.22 m was introduced at least thirty years before, it has set a benchmark for presenting the highest data wiping and erasure standards at various govt—levels, industry-based, private, and for other organizations.
- Provides Extra Verification
Another essential perk of introducing US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard is providing an extra layer of verification at the end of each pass. This verification ensures that data is overwritten accurately or securely. As this global standard method uses random characters to overwrite storage locations, it reduces the chances of data recovery.
- Data Erasure Method in Govt. Organizations
US DoD 5220.22 m is widely used as a data erasure method in almost every government organization. Hence, this method has become part and parcel of their data erasure policies. Therefore, the inclusion of such data erasure methods is mandatory whenever you collaborate with any government organization.
Ways to Implement Use US DoD 5220.22-M Data Wipe Standard?
It is important to note that information security guidelines and policies of many federal, state, and private firms require implementing the US DoD 5220.22-M wiping standard. You can implement the US DoD 52220.22m data wipe standard using professional software that will efficiently execute the entire procedure related to these standards.
You can choose a lot of software, but as per reviewers, using professional BitRecover Data Wipe Software will aid you in smartly implementing this software. This software is easy to use and provides smart functionality to incorporate this data-wipe software as part and parcel of strategies for different government and private organizations.
Features of Data Wipe Software:
Certain features of this software help you implement US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard software effectively. Let’s comprehend these features:
- This software applies ten-plus data-erasing methods to write a sequence of zeros, ones, or meaningless pseudo-random data to all the sectors of a storage device. For example, it applies to US DoD/ US Air Force ( three passes), Bit Toggle(four Passes), NATO Standards (seven Passes), and Peter Gutmann ( 35 Passes).
- Moreover, this software helps with permanent data erasure or wiping.
- It applies to all the media, storage devices, and ports—for example, HDD, SSD, Flash Drive, USB, etc.
Limitations of DoD 5220.22m Data Wipe Standard
US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard has set a benchmark for data wipe, but due to its limitations, it has been successfully replaced by other latest standards like NIST SP 800-88. The main limitation is that this DoD 5220.22-M wiping standard must be revised to clean the flash memory. This particular standard is designed so that it finds it unable to delete chip-based memory like SSD. Because of this limitation, many govt. Agencies like the DoD, the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Canadian Standards Association no longer use this method as a standard or benchmark of secure storage.
Final Thoughts:
US DoD 5220.22-M data wipe standard has proved its utility as a global standard benchmark applicable to diverse industries. This is because it implements a 3-pass deletion that is both efficient and highly demanded. Nowadays also many organizations implement this standard as a part of their hard disk drive and erasure policy.
Finally, DoD-compliant tools like Bitrecover Data Wipe Software provide ultimate support and a quick solution as per US DoD to generate highly-secured certificates and reports for audit tracking.