Patent ID: 8407369

Claim:
A data storage system comprising: one or more removable drives configured to store data, each of the removable drives comprising: a data cartridge case; a connector coupled to the data cartridge case; and memory enclosed by the data cartridge case and in communication with the connector, the memory configured to store the data; a drive bay comprising: a plurality of drive ports, each drive port including a data cartridge connector configured to mate with the connector of one of the removable drives in order to communicate with the memory; and a processor for receiving a delete request associated with selected data stored in the memory, wherein the processor is configured to convert the delete request into a digital shred command for the selected data and to send the digital shred command to one or more of the removable drives; and a temporary journal area configured for copying the data during the digital shredding, wherein the processor is configured to rewrite data other than the selected data from the journal area back to the memory after digital shredding, such that the selected data are digitally shredded and the other data are not digitally shredded.