FUJIFILM Recording Media announced a study it commissioned concludes that dealing with re-certified magnetic data storage tapes is not worth the hassle or security risks.
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Unedited press release follows:
FUJIFILM Reveals Dangers of “Re-Certified” Tape Media
Joint analysis shows that sensitive data remains fully readable on “re-certified” tape media
VALHALLA, N.Y. — FUJIFILM Recording Media U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, the leading global manufacturer of data storage media, today announced results from a study that finds “re-certified” tape media poses serious data security risks for those who sell their used tape stock to “re-certifiers” and poor performance for buyers that purchase from this market.
The joint analysis by Fujifilm and Ovation Data Services, Inc. (OvationData) found that confidential data can be recovered through certain data recovery methods and can expose a wide range of data, be it personal, corporate, financial or healthcare records.
“Organizations that sell their used tape media must understand the inherent risk of having sensitive data out in the public or being maliciously used by third parties,” said Peter Faulhaber, president, FUJIFILM Recording Media U.S.A., Inc. “And for buyers of ‘re-certified’ tape, users are very likely to experience unacceptable quality and performance issues.”
About the study
Fujifilm confirmed the dangers of selling and buying used media through a study conducted with OvationData, a leading provider of data recovery, migration and data tape services with headquarters in Houston, Texas.
Fujifilm randomly acquired a total of 50 “re-certified” LTO data tapes of various brands from five “re-certified” tape resellers, and submitted them to OvationData for analysis. OvationData found that 48 out of 50 tapes still contained usable information, even though some reinitializing was performed on the beginning of the tape to make it appear that any prior data was deleted. Additional analysis on a sub-set of these tapes did in fact reveal the existence of highly confidential customer data.
“It is astonishing to find that the LTO tapes were only quickly ‘initialized,’ and not completely overwritten or properly erased. We determined that no physical form of ‘certification’ appears to have been performed on the tapes other than writing of a single end-of-data marker at the beginning of tape,” said Gregory Servos, president of OvationData. “This means that there was no writing or reading of test data to or from the tapes to check for potential errors or physical tape damage and that the existing data was not fully erased.”
To effectively and securely erase data on an LTO format tape (or other tape utilizing a magnetic servo) requires a complete overwrite of the entire length and all tracks of the tape. This process takes several hours and would not prove to be economically feasible for the “re-certifier.” Otherwise, simply initializing with a new end-of-data marker can be overcome with the appropriate data recovery techniques.
The study also highlights the fact that there are no industry standards for “re-certifying” used media despite claims by “re-certifiers,” so the quality and reliability of used media is questionable. Furthermore, the past handling and storage history of used media can never be ascertained, potentially exposing future users to risks.
In addition to the 48 used tapes containing user data, a number had significant quality issues. 16 tapes had unacceptably high read, write, and servo error rates, likely due to excessive wear and edge damage from mishandling or misaligned tape drives. Additionally, one third of the tapes had manufacturing dates prior to June of 2006 according to OvationData, raising concerns about the tape’s environmental exposure history.
Protecting your business
Re-certified data tapes pose a serious data security concern for organizations because sensitive data can be accessible after resale. Any data retention policy that causes a company to fall out of regulatory compliance can result in severe penalties that can include fines or criminal charges. Fujifilm recommends that organizations immediately review their media management policies from purchase to end-of-life and make sure to:
• Enact policies that ensure control of data before, during and after it leaves your organization;
• Prohibit the selling of used media to protect against potential breach of confidentiality or violation of government regulations;
• Develop guidelines for confirming appropriate data deletion and destruction of retired media;
• Specify “new, factory fresh” media when purchasing new media through a reseller. This will ensure that the media you receive is not merely initialized or repackaged to appear as new.
Counterfeit tapes
Data media buyers also need to be aware of resellers that are repackaging used tape and selling them as “new” in counterfeited manufacturer packaging. These counterfeit products are sold to unsuspecting customers, usually via discount websites. Fujifilm is working closely with several customers who found that they had purchased used tape sold as “new” – and taking action against resellers engaged in this business.
Fujifilm actively works with partners and resellers in the industry and provides educational materials that encourage “best practices” for handling, storing, transporting and disposing of data to protect a company’s information assets.
For more information on Fujifilm’s data storage products, please go to: Fujifilm Recording Media.
About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM Recording Media U.S.A., Inc. is the US-based manufacturing, marketing and sales operations of professional broadcast video and data tape recording media for FUJIFILM Corporation. The company provides broadcast and data center customers and industry partners with a wide range of unique data center accessories, value-added services and Dternity data protection and preservation solutions. Based on a history of thin-film engineering and magnetic particle science such as Fujifilm NANOCUBIC technology, Fujifilm creates breakthrough data storage products. In 2013, Fujifilm surpassed the 100 million milestone for the number of LTO Ultrium data cartridges manufactured and sold since introduction, establishing the company’s leadership and success as the leading global manufacturer of mid-range and enterprise data tape. For more information on Fujifilm Recording Media products, customers can call 800-488-3854 or go to www.fujifilmusa.com/tape_data_storage. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe free at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 10 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2012, and in the year ended March 31, 2013, had global revenues of $26.7 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.
* At an exchange rate of 83 yen to the dollar.