Skip to main content

How is everyone securely disposing or destroying their own Apple SSD storage units?

Considering that MacBooks from 2016 to 2022 have an SSD (NAND storage) that is not upgradeable,
and it is not replaceable either, since it is soldered onto the main board:

If a company has decommissioned a MacBook and the device reaches its end-of-life,
the NAND storage cannot be extracted and re-used on a different device.

Also:

  • How can businesses assert that their data is securely wiped before device disposal?

Apple recommends cryptographic erasure. Basically, make sureFileVault is enabled, then reinstall macOS. Reinstalling macOS will destroy the decryption key for your organizations data if FileVault was enabled as well as randomly erasing/overwriting data. 

 

 

Encryption and Data Protection overview - Apple Support (GE)

I believe that assertation can be certified with 3rd party products. 
The recovery mode: remove volumes/delete deisk, then reinstall is fairly secure given SSD and not HDD. 
But I still am required to certify a wipe before destruction. We use https://www.blancco.com/

 

I believe that assertation can be certified with 3rd party products. 
The recovery mode: remove volumes/delete deisk, then reinstall is fairly secure given SSD and not HDD. 
But I still am required to certify a wipe before destruction. We use https://www.blancco.com/

 


incidentally, we have to wipe and reinstall due to USB restrictions we push via JAMF, before we can use blancco to certify the wipe. 

Reply


Terms & ConditionsCookie settings