NIST Special Publication 800-88 defines three sanitization methods for data-bearing devices: clear, purge, and destroy. Choosing the right one depends on the sensitivity of the data and where the device is headed next.
Clear applies logical techniques to sanitize data in all user-addressable storage locations, protecting against simple recovery methods. It's appropriate for devices being reused internally, where the same organization retains custody.
Purge applies physical or logical techniques that render data recovery infeasible using state-of-the-art laboratory techniques. This is the standard for devices leaving your organization's control through resale or donation.
Destroy renders the device unable to be used and data unrecoverable, typically through shredding, disintegration, or degaussing for magnetic media. This is required for the most sensitive data classifications, and for drives that fail sanitization verification.
Whichever method applies, keep a record: device serial number, sanitization method, date, and who performed it. That log is what turns a data destruction claim into something an auditor can actually verify.
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