HPA / DCO detection with Securaze Work

Owned by Ivana Sunaric, created
Nov 25, 2024
2 min read

Understanding HPA and DCO

When it comes to securely erasing data from a disk, it’s essential to account for special areas that might not be immediately visible or accessible. Two such areas are the Host Protected Area (HPA) and the Device Configuration Overlay (DCO):

  1. HPA (Host Protected Area):
    HPA is a hidden section of the disk that manufacturers or system administrators can use to store diagnostic tools or recovery data. This area is not typically visible to the operating system or most softwares.

  2. DCO (Device Configuration Overlay):
    DCO is another hidden part of the disk that allows manufacturers to configure the drive's capacity and features. This can mean portions of the disk are effectively "invisible" during normal use.

While these areas serve specific purposes, they pose a challenge when securely erasing a disk, as data hidden in these sections might not be deleted.

How Securaze Work Handles HPA and DCO

Securaze Work is designed to ensure no data is left behind, including in these hidden areas. Here's how it works:

  1. Detection:
    When you start a disk erasure process, Securaze Work automatically scans the disk for the presence of HPA and DCO. This ensures that no portion of the disk goes unnoticed.

  2. Disabling HPA and DCO:
    If HPA or DCO are detected, Securaze Work will attempt to disable them. By doing this, the software gains full access to the entire disk, including these hidden sections, so that they can also be securely erased.

  3. Error Handling:
    In some cases, disabling HPA or DCO might not be possible due to hardware limitations or restrictions. When this happens, Securaze Work will stop the erasure process and notify you with an error. This ensures that no erasure is falsely marked as complete when parts of the disk are inaccessible.

Why This Matters

By accounting for HPA and DCO, Securaze Work provides a comprehensive and trustworthy solution for secure disk erasure. You can be confident that when a disk erasure is marked as complete, no hidden data remains—giving you peace of mind in managing sensitive information.

 

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