METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR POLICY-BASED SECURE DESTRUCTION OF DATA

• US 20080177811A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cannon, David Maxwell, Marek, Toby Lyn, Haye, Mark Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for policy-based secure destruction of data. The method for policy-based secure destruction of data is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes storing a data destruction policy, wherein the data destruction policy defines at least one predetermined data destruction parameter. The method may also include referencing the data destruction policy to obtain the data destruction parameters in response to a predetermined data operation. In a further embodiment, the method may include executing a data destruction process in accordance with the data destruction parameters.

Claims

1. A method for policy-based secure destruction of data, the method comprising:

storing a data destruction policy, wherein the data destruction policy defines at least one predetermined data destruction parameter;

referencing the data destruction policy to obtain the data destruction parameters in response to a predetermined data operation; and

executing a data destruction process in accordance with the data destruction parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data destruction policy further comprises an identification parameter for identifying a data object selected for destruction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data destruction policy further comprises a timing parameter for determining when the data destruction process is to initiate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data destruction policy further comprises a bit pattern parameter for identifying a predetermined bit pattern to be utilized by the data destruction process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data destruction policy further comprises a repeat parameter configured to trigger the data destruction process to overwrite a data object a predetermined number of times.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data destruction process further comprises validating a data object prior to destroying the data object, wherein validating includes comparing a header value of the data object with an expected data object header value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data destruction process further comprises:

overwriting the data object header with a predetermined dummy header;

overwriting the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameter; and

repeating the overwrite of the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising auditing a selected storage volume to determine whether the data destruction policy has been accurately applied, wherein auditing includes determining whether data object header values associated with data objects match expected data object header values.

9. A system for policy-based secure destruction of data, the system comprising:

a storage server configured to;

store a data destruction policy, wherein the data destruction policy defines at least one predetermined data destruction parameter;

reference the data destruction policy to obtain the data destruction parameters in response to a predetermined data operation; and

execute a data destruction process in accordance with the data destruction parameters; and

a storage medium in communication with the storage server, configured to store data objects for the storage server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage manager is further configured to validate a data object prior to destroying the data object, wherein validating includes comparing a header value of the data object with an expected data object header value.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data destruction process further comprises:

overwriting the data object header with a predetermined dummy header;

overwriting the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameters; and

repeating the overwrite of the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameters.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage manager is further configured to audit a selected storage volume on the storage medium to determine whether the data destruction policy has been accurately applied, wherein auditing includes determining whether data object header values associated with data objects match expected data object header values.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform operations for policy-based secure destruction of data, the operations comprising:

storing a data destruction policy, wherein the data destruction policy defines at least one predetermined data destruction parameter;

referencing the data destruction policy to obtain the data destruction parameters in response to a predetermined data operation; and

executing a data destruction process in accordance with the data destruction parameters.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the data destruction process further comprises validating a data object prior to destroying the data object, wherein validating includes comparing a header value of the data object with an expected data object header value.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the data destruction process further comprises:

overwriting the data object header with a predetermined dummy header;

overwriting the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameters; and

repeating the overwrite of the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameters.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising auditing a selected storage volume to determine whether the data destruction policy has been accurately applied, wherein auditing includes determining whether data object header values associated with data objects match expected data object header values.

17. An apparatus for policy-based secure destruction of data, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store a data destruction policy, wherein the data destruction policy defines at least one predetermined data destruction parameter;

a referencing module configured to reference the data destruction policy to obtain the data destruction parameters in response to a predetermined data operation; and

a processor configured to execute a data destruction process in accordance with the data destruction parameters.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a validation module configured to validate a data object prior to destroying the data object, wherein validating includes comparing a header value of the data object with an expected data object header value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the data destruction process further comprises:

overwriting the data object header with a predetermined dummy header;

overwriting the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameters; and

repeating the overwrite of the data object in accordance with the data destruction parameters.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an audit module configured to audit a selected storage volume to determine whether the data destruction policy has been accurately applied, wherein auditing includes determining whether data object header values associated with data objects match expected data object header values.