MEDIA DECLASSIFICATION DEVICE

A media declassification device receives a media component such as an SSD or magnetic disk drive, and eradicates any remnants of sensitive data stored thereon by physical agitation and dismantling the media component. A cutting wheel or die rotates in close tolerance to an interior surface of a cutting chamber, and cutters or protrusions on the cutting wheel engage the media component against a leading edge of the cutting chamber for shearing and/or cutting fragments of the media component into the cutting chamber. A screen at an opposed side of the cutting chamber has apertures that limit a maximum size of particles passing out of the cutting chamber.

BACKGROUND

Modern electronic proliferation of information has led to a tremendous quantity of data, sensitive and otherwise, being stored in electronic form, typically in non-volatile memory such as SSDs (solid state drives) and magnetic media. Deletion of sensitive information from electronic sources can be elusive, however. Many deletion operations merely reflag or designate areas corresponding to deleted data as available for new data, without actually overwriting. Direct access mechanisms, which access media on a location basis, rather then through a file system, can bypass the deletion flags and effectively access “deleted” data. Further, even when data is overwritten with new data, techniques exist to recover residual indications of previously stored data.

SUMMARY

A media declassification device receives a media component such as an SSD or magnetic disk drive, and eradicates any remnants of sensitive data stored thereon by physical agitation and dismantling the media component. A cutting wheel or die rotates in close tolerance to an interior surface of a cutting chamber, and cutters or protrusions on the cutting wheel engage the media component against a leading edge of the cutting chamber for shearing and/or cutting fragments of the media component into the cutting chamber. A screen at an opposed side of the cutting chamber has apertures that limit a maximum size of particles passing out of the cutting chamber.

Configurations herein are based, in part, on the observation that it can be problematic to ensure complete erasure of data from storage media once the media has been taken out of service. Data security techniques often impose requirements of overwriting and unreadability for decommissioned media; in the case of governmental regulations governing sensitive or classified data, physical dismantling of media to a particle size deemed unreadable is required to render formerly classified data as “declassified.” Unfortunately, conventional approaches to media/drive declassification suffer from the shortcoming than conventional dismantling techniques for decommissioned media often employ a hammermill or similar approach for physical pulverizing of media storage devices. Such devices have alternating sized voids for passing pulverized pieces. It can be difficult to ensure that large sized pieces cannot pass into the waste stream; in other words, to ensure that all pieces in the stream are no larger than a minimum size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Depicted below are several examples of a media declassification device according to configurations herein. Physical dismantling of the media device is shown, including severing fragments of the existing storage media and any accompanying enclosure, and further agitating the severed fragments into particles sufficiently small to be considered unintelligible and unreadable of the information formerly stored therein, and therefore appropriate for declassification. A sufficiently small size for declassification may vary according to an external standard, but is around 2 mm.

FIG. 1shows a schematic workflow of the media declassification device as defined herein. Referring toFIG. 1, in a data security environment100having a stream120of retired mass storage devices21-1. . .21-N (21generally) having a storage media component20(media component) used for sensitive data storage, a declassification apparatus renders the storage media unintelligible. A severing entity110such as an agitator or grinding wheel is responsive to mechanical actuation for severing fragments41of the media component20, along with incidental casing and connections, generally in a comingled manner. Alternatively, the media component20may be manually separated prior, but this is not necessary. A feed mechanism114, such as rollers, belts and/or chutes provides conveyance of the media component20to the agitator for forcibly engaging the agitator with the storage media.

A sizing regulator140passes fragments41within a maximum particle size, meaning equal to or smaller than a size deemed unreadable, such as 2 mm. The agitator is responsive to mechanical actuation for fragmenting the storage media against a sizing regulator140including a sieved surface or entity. The sieved surface is rigid with apertures or perforations based on the maximum particle size. Severed fragments41of a sufficiently small size pass as particles42into a repository150for declassified waste. Not all severed fragments41may be sufficiently small for passage as particles42. In contrast to conventional approaches, which merely pass all output from a hammermill, shredder and similar dismantling, the approach herein provides a cyclic pathway145for redirecting fragments41exceeding the maximum particle size back to the agitator for successive agitation. The sizing regulator140is disposed near the agitator based on a tolerance for further shearing the fragments and particles exceeding the maximum particle size. Sheared fragments continue agitation as the agitator grinds and shears in a close tolerance against the sieved surface, and surrounding enclosure, to ensure continual shearing of fragments until a sufficiently small particle size is achieved.

FIG. 2shows a perspective view of a particular example configuration of a media declassification device as inFIG. 1. Configurations herein substantially overcome the shortcomings of conventional hammermill and arbitrary particle size approaches by providing a media declassification device including an agitator10having a plurality of circumferential cutters, edges or teeth. A feed opening14is defined by a feed chute16, and is adapted to receive a media component20and pass the media component into engagement with the agitator10. An enclosure22around the agitator is disposed for engaging the media component20into an interference arrangement with the agitator10. An actuator such as a belt drive motor30connects to the agitator for disposing the cutters in an agitating engagement with the media component20by rotating the agitator10. An adjustable wall24aligns with a leading edge26of the enclosure22for guiding the media component into an interference arrangement with the cutters on the rotating agitator10to effectively grind and shred the media component20into unreadable fragments.

FIG. 3shows a block diagram of a method and system of media declassification in the workflow ofFIG. 1. Referring toFIGS. 1-3, the method for declassifying storage media21having sensitive data by rendering the storage media into an unreadable physical form includes disposing a batch220of storage media through a severing entity210configured for severing fragments41of the storage media20. In the configuration ofFIG. 2, this includes rotating the agitator10via a drive source230for severing the fragments41from the storage media and for shearing the severed fragments against a sieving entity240for evaluating fragments41small enough to pass the sieving entity240. Storage media21is forced via a feed mechanism for conveyance of the media component20and associated casing to the agitator for forcibly engaging the agitator with the storage media at a speed based on an intended size of the severed fragments41.

The sizing regulator140may be fulfilled by a sieving entity240having an array of apertures, where a tolerance is based on an interference between the agitator and the sieving entity for shearing the particles unable to pass the apertures. The sieving entity240has a mesh, screen or apertures with a screen size for effectively evaluating the severed fragments41for a size smaller than a maximum particle size. The output bin150catches passed particles242of the severed fragments41as declassified media particles if meeting the maximum particle size. Agitation continues the severed fragments41until smaller than the maximum particle size for passing as declassified media particles42. The aggregated, comingled particles form benign disposal244material for waste or recycling.

Continuing to refer to the example ofFIG. 2, severing the fragments further include rotating the agitator10in an enclosure22, where the storage media is forcibly disposed against cutters, blades or teeth on the agitator10for physically severing the fragments41. Fragments of an excessive size continue to be sheared against the enclosure and the sieving entity240until sufficiently small to pass through apertures in the sieving entity. The agitator10includes an array of cutters12adapted to rotate in the enclosure22. The enclosure having an input for shearing fragments41of the storage media and an output for disposing the sheared fragments41against the sieved surface for shearing particles41to a size defined by apertures of the sieved surface.

A size of the severed fragments41is based on a feed speed and a rotation speed, and a size of the sieved particles42is based on an aperture size of the sieved surface. This remedies a problem in the prior art where initially severed or dismantled portions are too large to be considered unreadable. Initially “large” fragments41continue shearing until small enough to pass as particles42. A further advantage of the cyclic, rotating agitator is actuation for severing the fragments of the storage media21and shearing the fragments41into particles42based on the same rotational movement.

FIG. 4shows a perspective view of an agitator for dismantling media components, andFIG. 5shows a schematic view of the underside of an enclosure around the agitator. InFIGS. 4 and 5, the agitator10has an annular surface11and the cutters12extend in a staggered manner across the annular surface11. The cutters12are spaced laterally by a width D1and longitudinally D2based on a maximum size of the separated, cut fragments. In an example configuration, fragments should be no larger than 2 mm, however this sizing may be adjusted to suit the applicable requirements.

The enclosure22has a screen40at an opposed side from the feed opening14with apertures sized based on the maximum particle size43. The screen40is disposed adjacent the agitator10and aligned with the enclosure22for engaging the particles cut or sheared by the cutters12. It should be apparent that the screen40is adapted to pass the particles42from the enclosure through apertures based on the maximum particle size, such that larger particles simply advance around the enclosure22for additional agitation and cutting until sufficiently small to pass through the screen40.

The agitator10, in the example configuration, takes the form of a cutting wheel or drum defining the plurality of cutters in an interleaving arrangement of protrusions, such that the interleaved arrangement defines the spacing D1, D2based on the maximum particle size43. The round cutting drum shape rotationally couples to a drive source, such that the rotating agitator is adapted to engage the media component20in a severing communication against the enclosure22as particles42disengaged from the media component20may be iteratively agitated in the enclosure until sufficiently small to pass through the screen40. A tolerance45between the agitator10and the enclosure22allows cyclic travel and successive shearing against the enclosure22until broken into particles small enough to pass the screen40. A variety of cutting drums may be considered based on an ability to shear or disengage appropriately sized particles in conjunction with an appropriate screen. Generally, the cutting drum exhibits a discontinuous blade structure such as the interleaved cutters12, so as to avoid cutting a pattern of elongated strips of material.

A further consideration involves a downward force on the media component20for biasing it into a cutting engagement. A mechanical plunger may be employed in the chute16to force the media component against the agitator. Other suitable conveyance means may be employed for drawing the media component into engagement with the agitator and biasing the particles through the screen, such as a frictional roller114or conveyor, gaseous currents or low pressure bias (i.e. vacuum suction), magnetic and gravitational mechanisms.

FIG. 6shows a deployed declassification cart housing the declassification device ofFIG. 1-5. Referring toFIGS. 1-6, the full declassification apparatus60may be installed in a cart152for storing the output bin150below for catching the particles42. A plunger115may supplement the feed mechanism or rollers114for feeding the storage media21iteratively. The feed opening14is disposed at a workable height for successive manual feeding by an operator. The belt drive30is enclosed for safety.

FIG. 7shows an alternate configuration of the agitator ofFIGS. 4 and 5, where the agitator includes adjacent portions10-1,10-2with cutters12in rows skewed by a helical or diagonal from a rotational axis of the shaft130. The enclosure22may be clear for observing function or may have a removable cover.

FIG. 8shows a cutaway view of the agitator ofFIG. 7, where the dual portions10-1,10-2are shown adjacent on the shaft130.