Frequently Asked Questions About Cleanroom

As the first data recovery company to earn a Class 10 ISO 4 certification, Secure Data Recovery Services is uniquely qualified to repair physical issues on hard drives, solid-state drives and other digital media. This page contains detailed answers to some of the most common questions that we receive regarding our Cleanroom certification and the role of the Cleanroom in the data recovery process.

We maintain a certified Class 10 ISO 4 Cleanroom in order to perform safe, reliable data recovery procedures for our clients.

To view an answer, click on the corresponding question. You can also call our customer service team at 1-800-388-1266 for more information or to start a case.

• Q: What is a Cleanroom?

  A Cleanroom is a specialized environment that uses advanced filters, temperature controls, humidity controls and anti-static technology to eliminate dust and other airborne particles. Data recovery engineers work in Cleanrooms when performing physical media repairs.

• Q: How do data recovery companies use Cleanroom technology to protect my media?

  Hard drives, solid-state drives, flash drives and other digital storage devices contain a number of sensitive components. This is particularly true for hard drives--the read/write heads of a hard drive are extremely precise, and a single microscopic contaminant can easily cause damage.

  Data recovery engineers regularly open digital storage devices in order to repair damaged components, and by working in a certified Cleanroom, they can prevent contaminants from endangering the process.

• Q: How do Cleanroom classifications work?

  There are several classification systems for Cleanrooms, but the two most popular options are US FED STD 209E and ISO 14644-1. Both of these systems measure the number of particles in a cubic foot of air and assign a rating based on that measurement.

  In order to meet Class 1000 / ISO 6 standards, a Cleanroom must have a maximum of 1,000 particles (sized at 0.5 µm or greater) per cubic foot of space. The number after the "class" rating indicates the contamination tolerance of the Cleanroom; for instance, Class 100 / ISO 5 standards allow for a maximum of 100 particles. Therefore, a smaller number indicates a better Cleanroom.

• Q: What type of Cleanroom do data recovery engineers need in order to safely work with hard drives?

  The bare minimum Cleanroom rating for data recovery work is Class 100 / ISO 5, but we feel that these standards are slightly lenient considering the data density of many newer devices. Engineers need a more protective environment in order to completely prevent harmful contamination.

  Secure Data Recovery Services was the first provider to establish a Class 10 / ISO 4 Cleanroom, which effectively eliminates any particles that could damage hard drive read/write heads and other sensitive media components.

• Q: How does a company earn a Class 10 ISO 4 Cleanroom certification?

  We maintain our Cleanroom through regular tests and laboratory audits. Because the quality of our Cleanroom can directly affect the data recovery process, we exercise strict standards and hire third-party attestation firms to ensure compliance with Class 10 standards.

  We post our Cleanroom certification online for the benefit of our clients. Visit our Cleanroom page to view this document or for more information regarding our data recovery technology.