Confirmation of secure data file erasure

• US 20030079078A1
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Talbert, Bruce E., Zipprich, Andrew J., Bunker, Keith G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen

Abstract

A process that provides a status report following a request for the destruction of data files a user wishes to completely erase from a storage medium, such as a hard drive or removable disk. A system administrator can select a quantity of and pattern to be used in overwrites of the data file so that no one can recover the data from the storage medium. In embodiments, a graphical user interface (GUI) can be provided to allow user triggering of and parameter setting for the process. The GUI can be implemented at a device in which the storage medium is a component or can be implemented in a device driver GUI on a personal computer in communication with the device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a storage medium supported in a housing;

a secure storage medium eraser that erases a data file on the storage medium in response to an erase trigger; and

a report generator that can create a report on a status of a triggered erasure in response to predetermined criteria.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the report created by the report generator is printed on a substrate.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the report is printed by a printing device in which the storage medium being erased is housed.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the report is printed by a printing device in communication with the secure storage medium eraser.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the report created by the report generator is an e-mail message.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the e-mail message is sent to a system administrator.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the erase trigger is set by a user and the email message is sent to the user setting the erase trigger.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the report is a sound.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the report generator is configurable by an administrator only.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the predetermined criteria include at least one of an indication of whether a report should be created, a type of report to be generated, and a destination of the report.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the predetermined criteria can be set via a report setup interface.

12. A device comprising:

a storage medium supported in a housing;

a secure storage medium eraser that erases a data file on the storage medium in response to an erase trigger;

a report generator that creates a report on a status of a triggered erasure in response to predetermined criteria; and

a report setup interface through which the predetermined criteria can be set.

13. The device of claim 12 further including at least one graphical user interface (GUI) element of the report setup interface with which a user can set parameters of the predetermined criteria with which the report generator can create a report.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the at least one GUI element includes a button.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the at least one GUI element includes a virtual keyboard with which a user enters a value of a parameter.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein the report setup interface includes a report element indicative of whether a report should be created.

17. The device of claim 12 wherein the report setup interface includes a type element indicative of what type of report should be created.

18. The device of claim 12 wherein the report setup interface includes a destination element indicative of where the report should be sent.

19. The device of claim 12 wherein the report setup interface is accessible by an administrator only.

20. The device of claim 12 further including an input apparatus and wherein the report setup interface is accessed via the input apparatus.

21. The device of claim 12 wherein the report setup interface is accessed via driver software on a computer in communication with the device.

22. A selective secure erase report generation method comprising:

overwriting a data file according to a predetermined secure erase method in response to an erase trigger;

determining whether a report should be generated; and

generating a report of the status of a triggered erasure when the report should be generated.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining a type of report to be generated.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining a destination for the report.

25. An apparatus including:

a storage medium supported in a housing;

a secure storage medium eraser that erases a data file on the storage medium in response to an erase trigger;

a report generator that creates a report on a status of a triggered erasure in response to predetermined criteria including at least one of an indication that a report is to be generated, a type of report to generate, and a destination for the report; and

a report setup interface through which the predetermined criteria can be set.

the apparatus performing a selective secure erase report generation method comprising;

checking to see whether a report is to be generated;

when a report is to be generated;

checking a type of report to generate;

checking a destination for the report; and

generating the report at the destination.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the report is to be printed on a substrate, the apparatus further performing:

checking where the report should be printed;

printing the report at the apparatus if the apparatus is the destination; and

printing the report on another device when another device is the destination.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the report is to be an e-mail message, the apparatus further performing sending an e-mail message to an e-mail address specified via the report setup interface.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the report is to be a log entry and the apparatus further performs writing the entry in a log file specified via the report setup interface.