Stellar’s BitRaser® drive wiping test results based on NIST-led Computer Forensics Tool Testing (CFTT) Suite provide empirical evidence to support the software’s maturity for catering to the global data privacy, erasure & compliance needs.
Gurugram, India, Jun 30, 2021: Stellar’s secure data erasure software, BitRaser Drive Eraser efficacy has been tested by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), New Jersey, USA recently based on the NIST 800-88 Standard. The test was conducted on a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive using the Computer Forensics Tool Testing (CFTT) Test Suite, a proprietary tool jointly developed by NIST and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T). The data wiping test results attained by Stellar BitRaser Drive Eraser establish the software as a reliable tool for erasing hard drives in line with the NIST 800-88 Standard. The tool’s rigorous evaluation by the oldest physical sciences laboratory reaffirms its credentials in the data erasure realm. In a way, the test outcome re-validates the robust technology that powers Stellar’s Made in India BitRaser software product line as a failsafe data wipe solution from privacy and compliance standpoint.
The CFTT Test Suite found that BitRaser performed “Secure Overwriting” on all the sectors, including the hidden areas of the drives - Host Protected Area (HPA) and Device Configuration Overlay (DCO). The test results confirmed that data was securely overwritten & erased ‘As Expected’ by BitRaser Drive Eraser using NIST 800-88 Purge Secure Erase Standard.
“Over the past several decades, Stellar has invested in substantial resources to enrich our data erasure tools with a robust technology that helps the users erase their storage media with total assurance. The successful lab testing of Stellar’s BitRaser® Drive Eraser by NIST is a forward leap in cementing the trust of our customers worldwide in order to help them meet their privacy and compliance goals”, says Sunil Chandna, CEO at Stellar.
Keeping in view the growing data breach incidents and enactment of international data protection laws with sweeping implications, Stellar’s BitRaser data erasure software approval by NIST is well timed & much needed. Organizations, now more than ever, realize a heightened need for “forensically-tested” data destruction software to attain an innately safe and compliant IT asset disposition while also fulfilling their e-waste reduction obligations.
NIST Testing & Validation Methodology
The test was conducted using CFTT’s Federated Testing Forensic Tool Testing Environment. The test hardware comprised an Intel Core i5-6402P desktop PC with a 2.80 GHz CPU and SATA interface. The desktop PC, running on Arch Linux, was connected with Toshiba® and Transcend® SATA hard drives to install two different configurations for testing the NIST Secure Erase capability of BitRaser Drive Eraser v3.0. Both drives had support for Native Command Queuing (NCQ) to allow a consistent testing mechanism using the CFTT Federated Testing Test Suite for Forensic Media Preparation. Erasing the hard drives using BitRaser resulted in overwriting of approx. 976 Million sectors on the Toshiba hard drive and 250 Million sectors on the Transcend hard drive. The CFTT Test Suite confirmed secure overwriting of all the sectors, including the hidden areas on the Toshiba drive. The data was securely erased on both drives as expected without any scope for recovery.
The test report is available on the Department of Homeland Security public repository of CFFT reports for forensic media preparation tools and can also be downloaded from Stellar’s website https://www.stellarinfo.co.in/bitraser/certifications.php
About Stellar’s BitRaser
BitRaser is a robust software tool for securely erasing SSD, HDD, laptop, desktop, server & mobile devices (Android® & iOS®) beyond the scope of any recovery, as per international standards. The software generates tamper-proof certificates & reports of erasure that are cloud-accessible & serve as an immutable audit trail for meeting compliance with global data privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, GLB, SOX, HIPAA, ISO27001, PCI DSS, etc. BitRaser is an innovation from the house of Stellar, www.stellarinfo.co.in global data care experts since 1993. Stellar is India’s No.1 provider for data recovery, data erasure, mailbox conversion, and file repair software & services.
About the Department of Homeland Security S&T & CFTT
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) is the primary research and development arm of the DHS for enabling effective, efficient, and secure operations across all homeland security missions. Through the Cyber Forensics project, DHS S&T collaborates with the NIST CFTT project to provide forensic tool testing reports to the public.
Computer Forensics Tool Testing (CFTT) Program is a joint project of the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), the National Institute of Justice, and the NIST Special Programs Office and Information Technology Laboratory. The objective of the CFTT Program is to provide quantifiable assurance to practitioners, researchers, and other users that the tools used in computer forensics investigations provide accurate results.
PR Contact
Sudhanshu Puri
Voice: +91 124 432 6700
Email: sudhanshu@stellarinfo.com
Web: www.stellarinfo.co.in
