Digital data sanitation

• US 10,140,043 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wickr Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wickr Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leavy, Thomas Michael, Howell, Christopher, Statica, Robert, Coppa, Kara Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F
• Application Number:
  US15/794,123
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 707692, 707694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device

Abstract

Digital data sanitization is disclosed. An indication that a data sanitization process should be performed is received. The data sanitization process is performed. Performing the data sanitization process includes determining an amount of free space on a storage device. Performing the data sanitization process further includes performing a set of one or more write operations, where performing the write operations decreases the amount of free space on the storage of the device.

Claims

1. A method for sanitizing a storage medium, the method comprising:

determining, by a first device, an amount of free space on the storage medium;

writing, by the first device, a first file to the free space on the storage medium until the amount of free space on the storage medium decreases to a threshold amount, wherein a size of the first file is proportional to an aggressiveness setting associated with the sanitization of the storage medium;

providing, by the first device, an error indicating there is insufficient space to perform an additional write operation when the amount of free space decreases to the threshold amount; and

deleting, by the first device, the one or more first files from the free space on the storage medium to make the free space available for storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the free space on the storage medium includes at least one recently deleted file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage medium includes at least one of a fixed storage medium and a removable storage medium.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

adjusting, by the first device, the aggressiveness setting based, in part, on an availability of system resources.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by the first device, a request to initiate the sanitation of the storage medium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first file is a temporary file that includes random data.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

writing, in addition to the first file, at least one second file to the free space on the storage medium to decrease the amount of free space to the threshold amount.

8. A system for sanitizing a storage medium, the system comprising:

a memory that includes an amount of free space, wherein the free space includes at least one recently deleted file;

a processor configured to determine the amount of free space on the memory;

write a first file to the free space on the memory until the amount of free space decreases to a threshold amount, wherein a size of the first file is proportional to an aggressiveness setting associated with the sanitization of the memory;

receive an error that there is insufficient space to perform an additional write operation; and

delete the one or more first files from the free space on the memory to make the free space available for storage.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the aggressiveness setting based, in part, on an availability of system resources.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request to initiate the sanitation of the memory.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to write at least one second file to the memory in addition to the one or more first files.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform the steps of:

determining an amount of free space on a storage medium;

writing a first file to the free space on the storage medium until the amount of free space on the storage medium decreases to a threshold amount, wherein a size of the first file is proportional to an aggressiveness setting associated with the sanitization of the storage medium;

providing an error indicating there is insufficient space to perform an additional write operation when the amount of free space decreases to the threshold amount; and

deleting the one or more first files from the free space on the storage medium to make the free space available for storage.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the free space on the storage medium includes at least one recently deleted file.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the storage medium includes at least one of a fixed storage medium and a removable storage medium.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, comprising instructions for:

adjusting the aggressiveness setting based, in part, on an availability of system resources.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, comprising instructions for:

receiving a request to initiate the sanitation of the storage medium.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first file is a temporary file that includes random data.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, comprising instructions for:

writing, in addition to the first file, at least one second file to the free space on the storage medium to decrease the amount of free space to the threshold amount.