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List:       secpapers
Subject:    Data Remanence in Semiconductor Devices
From:       aleph1 () securityfocus ! com
Date:       2001-09-15 21:48:28
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Data Remanence in Semiconductor Devices
Peter Gutmann

A paper published in 1996 examined the problem involved in truly deleting 
data from magnetic storage media and also made a mention of the fact that 
similar problems affect data held in semiconductor memory.This work extends 
the brief coverage of this area given in the earlier paper by providing the 
technical background information necessary to understand remanence issues in 
semiconductor devices. Data remanence problems affect not only obvious 
areas such as RAM and non-volatile memory cells but can also occur in other 
areas of the device through hot-carrier effects (which change the 
characteristics of the semiconductors in the device), electromigration (which 
physically alter the device itself), and various other effects which are 
examined alongside the more obvious memory-cell remanence problems. The 
paper concludes with some design and device usage guidelines which can be 
useful in reducing remanence effects.

http://www.cryptoapps.com/~peter/usenix01.pdf
http://www.cryptoapps.com/~peter/usenix01_slides.pdf

-- 
Elias Levy
SecurityFocus
http://www.securityfocus.com/
Si vis pacem, para bellum

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