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DIN 66399 standards – What you should know!
The new DIN 66399 replaces the hitherto DIN 32757.
The most significant changes are:
Three classification levels
A risk analysis shall be carried out for the data carriers and the data contained assigned to one of the three classification levels. The classification level determines the security level which is chosen for the destruction of the data carriers.
Six material categories
For the first time the norm defines different material classifications, also reflecting the size of the information presented on the data carrier (paper documents, optical, magnetic or electronic data carriers and hard drives).
Seven security levels
Instead of the previous five security levels, the new DIN 66399 now defines seven security levels. One major difference is the new security level P-4 with a material particle surface of maximum 160 mm², the previous level 4 becomes level P-5 and the previous level 5 becomes P-6. “Level 6”, which was not previously reflected in the DIN norm, will become level P-7.
Paper documents
| Paper documents | Strip width | Particle size |
| P-1 | ≤ 12 mm | ≤ 2000 mm ² |
| P-2 | ≤ 6 mm | ≤ 800 mm ² |
| P-3 | ≤ 2 mm | ≤ 320 mm ² |
| P-4 | 6 mm | ≤ 160 mm ² |
| P-5 | 2 mm | ≤ 30 mm ² |
| P-6 | ≤ 1 mm | ≤ 10 mm ² |
| P-7 | ≤ 1 mm | ≤ 5 mm ² |
Optical data media
| Optical data media | Particle size |
| O-1 | max 2000 mm ² |
| O-2 | max 800 mm ² |
| O-3 | max 160 mm ² |
| O-4 | max 30 mm ² |
| O-5 | max 10 mm ² |
| O-6 | max 5 mm ² |
| O-7 | max 0.2 mm ² |
Magnetic tape media
| Magnetic tape media | Particle size |
| T-1 | mechanically incoperable |
| T-2 | max 2000 mm ² |
| T-3 | max 320 mm ² |
| T-4 | max 160 mm ² |
| T-5 | max 30 mm ² |
| T-6 | max 10 mm ² |
| T-7 | max 2.5 mm ² |
Electronic data media
| Electronic data media | Particle size |
| E-1 | mechanically/electronically inoperable |
| E-2 | split |
| E-3 | max 160 mm ² |
| E-4 | max 30 mm ² |
| E-5 | max 10 mm ² |
| E-6 | max 1 mm ² |
| E-7 | max 0,5 mm ² |
HDD magnetic data media
| Hard drives magnetic data media | Particle size |
| H-1 | mechanically/electronically inoperable |
| H-2 | demagned |
| H-3 | deformed |
| H-4 | max 2000 mm ² |
| H-5 | max 320 mm ² |
| H-6 | max 10 mm ² |
| H-7 | max 5 mm ² |
