Digital storage media failure is a common occurrence, but an understanding of the mechanisms for the failure can be elusive and have far reaching implications. This project utilizes a digital laser microscope to investigate the impact of physical and environmental manipulation of digital storage media on failure rates and data recoverability. This investigation into the physical characteristics of digital media is establishing failure thresholds and their suitability for data recovery. The results of the project are being stored in a taxonomy of digital media failure characteristics, potential data recovery techniques, and microscopic image maps of the media failures and interventions. An additional aspect of the project is an extensive outreach component, which includes the K-12 and community college environments. Further impacts of this investigation include the ability to utilize physical media manipulation as a security mechanism, as well as improve digital media reliability.
TC: Small: RUI: Digital Laser Microscopy Analysis of Active, Altered, and Damaged Storage Media for Security and Digital Forensic Recovery