NSA re-certified Tape looks like new, performs like new, and is packaged to ship like new, so we warranty them for 10 years. We offer this level of assurance because of the quality of the process we use in NSA re-certifying our tape.

The NSA re-certification process has 9 rigorous steps with primary focus on the security of your data and the quality of the finished product. This is accomplished with our regimented process in a secure, data center-like environment using our proprietary software. However we operate no system software in our process room that would enable anybody to read the data on any tape.

1. Shipping Your Tapes: NSA has several options to help ensure the safe arrival of your tapes into our facility. These options include but are not limited to the following:

• Secure truck transport - point to point delivery with no stops or transfers.
• Locking Gaylord containers with GPS.
• FedEx White Glove service.
• Pick up and delivery by NSA personal service.

2. Receive Cartridges - Cartridges are received into our secure facility via inside loading bay. Tapes are held in our staging area, counted and scanned if required. We then store your tapes in a separate locked area until they are approved for processing. All tapes entering our facility will eventually be erased, degaussed or destroyed.

3. Verification – The audit of all scanned tapes is returned to you to ensure that no active tapes have been pulled. We hold tapes in our lock down area until confirmation is received and we are in 100% compliance.

4. External Processing - Tapes are now inspected for physical damage to ensure that only tapes in good physical condition move to the next step. We test for cracked seems, loose leader blocks and inspect for cracks and telling scratches or gouges.

5. Remove Labels and Clean – All external labels are removed and the entire surface of the cartridge is carefully cleaned and glue residue gently removed. Tapes are loaded on transport wagons and assigned a coded work order to keep dealer and end user identities secure. Tapes are transported into the designated area of the secure process room for NSA re-certification. Tapes are mounted on the appropriate drive to begin the erase / NSA re-certification.

6. Media Write Test - This process consists of a write pass over the entire length of the media (using large data blocks filled with a random bit-pattern) followed by a security erase pass. This process assures that all data has been erased and cannot be recovered. Soft and hard error information are collected for each piece of media and stored in the database. A good or a bad tape will be indicated, (PASS/FAIL), using new tape error performance criteria.

7. Read Test - Then a non-destructive read test gathers error statistics from the tape quality data. For each tape, soft read errors are logged by the NSA re-certification program.
Results:
Tapes are sorted using binary decision criteria based on error performance standards. One critical error will fail a tape immediately. Every tape must meet or exceed new tape performance criteria. Individual testing means no defective tapes, so you can be sure back-ups will go smoothly.

8. Reformat – Tapes that pass the NSA NSA re-certification process are reformatted on original manufactures’ tape drives to ensure they are recognized as a blank tape. A tape mark may be used in place of, or in addition to, reformatting.

9. Packaging –Tapes are shrink-wrapped in sleeves of 5 or 10, and then packaged in master cartons of 20 or 30 using boxes and packing materials identical to OEM. When labeled or initialized Volser ranges are printed on each box label. Cartons are then reverse stacked on a pallet with starting sequence numbers on top

1. Label and Initialization – If you want tapes ready to load, NSA will label and initialize all types of tapes, including 3592.

• NSA prints Netc labels in house to ensure quick turn-around on all label orders. EDP and other labels are also available.
• Initialization is available for the following tapes: 3592, 3590 (J), 3590e (K), 9940, 9840, 3490e, 3480.

2. Pad-print – A silk screen/pad print is available to customize your tapes. We can easily print your logo or other security information permanently on any tape.