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NIST

NIST Special Publication 800-88 Release 1 — Guidelines for Media Sanitization

Free NIST SP 800-88 online training

Release 1 (Rev. 1) media sanitization course with a certificate you can keep in your training records.

Start free training IEEE 2883 logical data sanitization training
In short: NIST replaced SP 800-88 Rev. 1 with Rev. 2 in September 2025. If your R2v3 data sanitization plan, work instructions, training records or certificates of sanitization still cite "Rev. 1", update the references and check your methods before your next audit.

For a side-by-side of what changed from Revision 1, see NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2: what changed from Rev. 1.

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Three things to check in your Appendix B program

References. Plans, procedures, training and sanitization certificates should cite NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2.
Methods backed by a current specification. Rev. 2 no longer lists device-by-device techniques, so each logical or physical method you use should trace to a current standard or NSA guidance, and to your Appendix B(13) recovery checks.
Verification and validation records. Keep evidence that each sanitization run completed (verification) and that your organization accepted the result for that data (validation).
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The full guide

Our maintained guide covers every Rev. 2 change, cryptographic erase and degaussing: NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 guide on paradygm.co.

Official sources

Get help

We help R2v3 and ITAD facilities update data sanitization plans, procedures and training for Rev. 2. See our R2v3 certification consulting services, contact us, or call 1-855-702-9001 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM–6:00 PM ET).

FAQ

What happened to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1?

NIST replaced SP 800-88 Rev. 1 with Rev. 2 in September 2025. If your R2v3 data sanitization plan, work instructions, training records or certificates of sanitization still cite "Rev. 1", update the references and check your methods before your next audit.

What should I check in my Appendix B program?

Plans, procedures, training and sanitization certificates should cite NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2. Rev. 2 no longer lists device-by-device techniques, so each logical or physical method you use should trace to a current standard or NSA guidance, and to your Appendix B(13) recovery checks. Keep evidence that each sanitization run completed (verification) and that your organization accepted the result for that data (validation).

Is free NIST SP 800-88 online training available?

Yes. Free NIST SP 800-88 online training is a Release 1 (Rev. 1) media sanitization course with a certificate you can keep in your training records. Start free training.

Where can I find the full Rev. 2 guide and official sources?

Our maintained guide covers every Rev. 2 change, cryptographic erase and degaussing: NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 guide on paradygm.co. Official sources include the free NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 download, the NIST FAQ for SP 800-88r2, and the NSA Evaluated Products Lists for media destruction devices.

Related

Last updated: 25 October 2026. Summary by Paradygm Consulting, not a substitute for the NIST publication. Official source: NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 (csrc.nist.gov).