DATASAN — SECURE MEDIA DESTRUCTION
Certified LTO Tape Data Destruction: NIST SP 800-88 Aligned Degaussing with Audit-Ready Certificates
Retired LTO tapes still hold your organization's complete data — from core system backups to archives of customer personal data. datasan delivers magnetic media data destruction through degaussing aligned with NIST SP 800-88, complete with a documented chain of custody and per-media destruction certificates for audit purposes.
LTO tape remains the backbone of backup and long-term archiving in Indonesian banking, hospitals, insurance, and government institutions. It offers massive capacity, low cost, and long shelf life — yet those same traits make it a major risk at end of life. A single current-generation LTO cartridge can hold data equivalent to millions of documents; when that cartridge is replaced, expired, or damaged, its entire contents remain readable to anyone with a compatible drive.
Indonesia's regulatory framework now demands accountability through the final stage of the data lifecycle. Law No. 27 of 2022 on Personal Data Protection requires data controllers to delete and destroy personal data under certain conditions, and Government Regulation No. 71 of 2019 requires electronic system operators to secure information throughout its lifecycle. For financial institutions, OJK provisions on IT governance place IT asset management — including media disposal — within supervised risk management. Discarding or reselling used tapes without verified data destruction opens the door to breaches and audit findings alike.
The problem is that erasing data from tape is nothing like erasing a disk. Reformatting or deleting backup catalogs does not remove data from the magnetic tape itself, and fully overwriting a single LTO cartridge can take hours — impractical across thousands of cartridges. NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1, the international reference for media sanitization, identifies degaussing as an appropriate Purge method for magnetic media: a high-strength magnetic field destroys all recorded data in seconds. datasan delivers this process certified, documented, and audit-ready.
The Risks Piling Up in Your Tape Vault
Data remains intact on 'retired' tapes
LTO tapes rotated out of backup still hold complete data — including personal and transaction data — and can be read back with any compatible drive.
Ordinary deletion is inadequate for magnetic media
Deleting backup catalogs or performing a quick erase does not remove data from the magnetic tape, leaving the risk of data remanence in place.
No proof of destruction for auditors and regulators
Without per-media documentation, organizations cannot demonstrate to internal auditors, external auditors, or supervisors that data on retired media was actually destroyed.
Handover to third parties without chain of custody
Handing used tapes to scrap dealers or disposal vendors without a documented chain of custody means losing control of your data the moment the media leaves your facility.
Certified, Documented Magnetic Media Destruction
Degaussing aligned with NIST SP 800-88 Purge
Media is destroyed using a high-field-strength degausser adequate for high-coercivity media such as LTO tape, following the Purge method described in NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1.
Per-media destruction certificates, audit-ready
Every cartridge is recorded by serial number or barcode and covered by a destruction certificate you can attach as compliance evidence in any audit.
On-site execution at your facility
Destruction can be performed at your premises so that data-bearing media never leaves an environment you control — essential for highly classified data.
End-to-end documented chain of custody
From inventory and handover through destruction, every movement of media is recorded and signed off, closing gaps for loss or misuse.
Support for a full range of magnetic media
Beyond LTO tape, the same process applies to DLT, legacy backup tapes, and magnetic hard drives — one destruction procedure for your entire magnetic media inventory.
datasan's solution is trusted by organizations across Indonesia's banking, healthcare, and government sectors to destroy magnetic media in a documented, auditable manner.
How the Destruction Process Works
Media inventory and handover
All media slated for destruction is inventoried by type, serial number, and quantity, then formally handed over with signed minutes. This step anchors the documented chain of custody.
Degaussing witnessed by your team
Each cartridge is destroyed with a high-field degausser. The process takes seconds per media and can be witnessed directly by your information security or internal audit team.
Verification and optional physical destruction
Destruction results are verified and reconciled against the inventory list. Where internal policy requires an additional layer, physical destruction of the media after degaussing is available.
Certificate and destruction report issuance
You receive a destruction certificate and a full report: media list by serial number, method used, execution time, and personnel involved — documentation ready to present to auditors and regulators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't reformatting or deleting backups enough for LTO tape?
Reformatting and deleting backup catalogs only remove pointers to the data, not the magnetic recording itself. Data on the tape remains recoverable with the right drive and software. That is why NIST SP 800-88 classifies such actions as Clear at best, not Purge, and magnetic media leaving organizational control calls for degaussing or destruction.
Can an LTO tape still be used after degaussing?
No. Degaussing destroys all magnetic recordings on the tape, including the factory-written servo tracks that LTO drives need in order to read and write. The cartridge becomes unusable — which is precisely the proof that the data is truly gone.
Do Indonesian regulations specifically mandate degaussing?
No Indonesian regulation mandates one specific technique. The PDP Law requires deletion and destruction of personal data under certain conditions, and GR 71/2019 requires securing electronic systems, but neither prescribes a method. Degaussing aligned with NIST SP 800-88 is chosen because it is the recognized international practice for magnetic media and produces destruction you can stand behind.
Can destruction be performed at our site?
Yes. On-site execution is the common scenario for highly classified data, because media never leaves your facility before its data is destroyed. Your team can witness the entire process and sign the minutes on the spot.
What does the destruction certificate contain?
The certificate records the identity of the destroyed media (type and serial number), the destruction method, the date and location of execution, and the parties who performed and witnessed it. It serves as objective evidence for internal audits, external audits, and regulatory examinations.
Does degaussing also work for hard drives and SSDs?
Degaussing is effective for all magnetic media, including conventional hard drives — though a degaussed hard drive also becomes unusable. SSDs and flash media do not store data magnetically, so degaussing is not effective for them; such media require other sanitization methods such as cryptographic erase or physical destruction, which we can help you incorporate into your media sanitization policy.
DATASAN — SECURE MEDIA DESTRUCTION
Destroy the Data on Your LTO Tapes — Verifiably
Discuss your magnetic media inventory with the datasan team. We will help you design a destruction procedure aligned with NIST SP 800-88 and your organization's compliance requirements — from inventory through destruction certificate.
