How did creators come to the number three as enough times to be sure data is unrecoverable? Some software programs instruct users to overwrite their data only 1 time and some even 35 times! Based off the varied number of recommended passes for software erasing programs, we can come to the conclusion that there is no magic number of times that ensures data is unrecoverable because truly, software wiping is not an effective method period. The three pass standard is designed to ensure that data is unrecoverable. The DoD 5220.22-M method outlines three passes: the first writes zeros and verifies, the second writes ones and verifies, and the third writes random characters and verifies. After all the time and effort spent running the software wiping program and ensuring that it is effective, data can still be recovered from the drive. It can be a long and taxing process as the storage device must be overwritten three times and verified continuously. DoD 5220.22-M is a process of overwriting data using reverse code involving encrypting old data with patterns of random characters, ones and zeros. File shredder programs are data sanitizing programs that take effect on individual files rather than an entire hard drive or storage device. The standard known as DoD 5220.22-M is a software based data destruction method used in several file shredder and data erasing programs. How can you be sure that you’ve securely wiped your computer clean? The answer is degaussing, and Proton offers secure erasure of data with no chance of recovery through its powerful degaussing machines, something that software wiping programs can’t do. As of June of 2007, the Defense Security Service (DSS) no longer approves of any overwriting procedures “for sanitization or downgrading of Information Systems (IS) storage devices used for classified processing.” Furthermore, in the NSA/CSS storage device declassification manual, software overwriting or software wiping are not mentioned anywhere as means to reliably destroy data. Your sensitive information can still be recovered even after a hard drive is “erased” via software wiping programs. Why is this exactly? Because overwritten data can still be recovered from a hard drive even after running the program several times.

However, the Department of Defense and all other affiliated government entities no longer approve of software overwriting as a method to securely erase data. Claims of “Department of Defense approval” echo through the software wiping industry as means to ensure customers of securely sanitized media.

Dod 3 pass wipe