Data Sanitization

Use the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) purge method that renders the data unrecoverable through simple, non-invasive data recovery techniques or through state-of-the-art laboratory techniques.


Note

Unless otherwise stated, the data sanitization instructions provide NIST 800-88 clear sanitization techniques in user-addressable storage locations for protection against simple non-invasive data recovery techniques and do not provide techniques that render data recovery infeasible using state of the art laboratory techniques.

Follow these steps to remove the files from a flash drive:

Procedure

Step 1

factory-reset all secure

Example:

Device> factory-reset all secure

Purges the data on the flash.

Step 2

Copy the image to the flash using TFTP.

For more information, see Copying Image Files using TFTP.

Step 3

reload

Example:

Device> reload

Reloads the device.

Note

 

If you have copied the image to the flash drive (Step 2), the switch reboots automatically.

Step 4

show platform software factory-reset secure log

Example:

Device> show platform software factory-reset secure log

Displays the data sanitization report.

Example: Data Sanitization

The following example shows how to reset all data from a device:

Device# factory-reset all secure 

The factory reset operation is irreversible for all operations. Are you sure? [confirm]

 The following will be deleted as a part of factory reset: NIST-SP-800-88-R1

 1: Crash info and logs
 2: User data, startup and running configuration
 3: All IOS images, including the current boot image
 4: User added rommon variables
 5: OBFL logs
 6: License usage log files

Note:

 1. You are advised to COPY an IOS image via TFTP after factory-reset and before reloading 
    the box (OPTIONAL)
 2. Then, Reload the box for factory-reset to complete

 DO NOT UNPLUG THE POWER OR INTERRUPT THE OPERATION

 Are you sure you want to continue?

[confirm]

% factory-reset: started.
% Format of nvram start..
% Format of nvram end...

*Sep 20 11:36:14.980: %SYS-7-NV_BLOCK_INIT: Initialized the geometry of nvram

% Erase of obfl0 start...

................................

% Erase of obfl0 end...

% Validating obfl0 partition... 

00000000: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 

...............................................................

003FFFF0: **
.

% Format of obfl0 start 
% Format of obfl0 complete
% Erase of rsvd start...

.......

% Erase of rsvd end...
% Validating rsvd partition... 

00000000: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 

.............

000DFFF0: **

.

% Erase of flash start...

.................................................................................................................................................................

% Erase of flash end...

% Validating flash partition... 

00000000: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 

.................................................................................................................................................................

0E9FFFF0: **

.

% Format of flash start 
% Format of flash complete
% Format of vb: start...
% Format of vb: end...
% act2 erase started...

------ USER 1 ------------------

 ObjectID   ObjectType  ObjectSize

===================================

0xBA7E1F05   0x01        0x00DC 

% act2 erase completed...

#CISCO C1000-48T-4G-L DATA SANITIZATION REPORT#

START : 2022-09-20 11:36:11
END   : 2022-09-20 11:37:28
PNM  : NAND
MNM  : IS34/35ML02G084
MID  : 0x00
DID  : 0xDAC8
NIST : PURGE SUCCESS

% factory-reset: logging success...
% FACTORY-RESET - Secure Successfull...


 1. You are advised to COPY an IOS image via TFTP before reloading the box (OPTIONAL)
 2. Then, Reload the box for factory-reset to complete

The following is sample output from the show platform software factory-reset secure log command after a secure factory reset of the device: 

Device# show platform software factory-reset secure log 

#CISCO C1000-48T-4G-L DATA SANITIZATION REPORT#
START : 2022-07-13 10:50:29
END   : 2022-07-13 10:51:45
PNM  : NAND
MNM  : IS34/35ML02G084
MID  : 0x00
DID  : 0xDAC8
NIST : PURGE SUCCESS