Did Apple removed security options when erasing external hard drive with disk utility on macOS Sequoia?

AlWeir wrote:

Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support (CA)

From that document:

❝

7. (Optional) If available, click Security Options, use the slider to choose how many times to write over the erased data, then click OK.

Secure erase options are available only for some types of storage devices. If the Security Options button is not available, Disk Utility cannot perform a secure erase on the storage device.❞

So, the secure erase feature is now apparently device dependent.

I could not trigger the option to appear with the flash drives and SSDs that I experimented with here at home, nor with a laptop class HDD.

I don't believe that the secure erase options are there in 15.4.1.

Today, I connected a 3.5" external drive that I pulled from a NAS device directly to my Mac (via a universal drive adapter [SATA->USB in this case]). I've done this many times in the past to securely erase NAS drives that report they're close to failing before recycling them.

The "Security Options" button that used to be there (in the purple circled area in xerivia's image above) is no longer there. Once I click the "Erase" button, the erase operation begins — there is no prompt for the previous options such as 3-pass or 7-pass secure erase. And there's nothing I can find in any menu options, nor do modifier keys (command, option, etc.) while clicking seem to bring anything up.

I can understand removing those options for SSDs, but this is a bare SATA hard drive. I hope this option returns. It was really useful.

Secure erase via CLI still works:

diskutil secureErase 0 /dev/diskX

more details: https://easyosx.net/2022/08/29/erase-a-macs-hard-drive-using-the-terminal/

AppleSilicon_Gamer wrote:

I don't think secure erase works by changing encryption keys. It works by over writing the data on the disk with passes of zeroes, ones, or random data, depends on what you set the slider to. I also noticed that the option is missing, for both USB drives and external HDDs, which prior to macOS 15.4.1 it has shown up for me.

I got the user interface terminology backwards.

The reference was to "Erase all Content and Settings" – and what that feature does to securely erase (or more accurately, scramble/destroy) data.

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

"Your Mac has this feature only if it’s using macOS Monterey 12 or later and is a Mac with Apple silicon or a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip."

I do not think that feature works by overwriting all of the flash sectors on the internal SSD multiple times. I think that it works by changing the encryption keys stored in the T2 or the Apple Silicon chip – and marking all of the space on the SSD as being free for reuse (without actually overwriting everything).

I don't think secure erase works by changing encryption keys. It works by over writing the data on the disk with passes of zeroes, ones, or random data, depends on what you set the slider to. I also noticed that the option is missing, for both USB drives and external HDDs, which prior to macOS 15.4.1 it has shown up for me.

Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support (CA)

I just looked for it and don't see it. I understand it not being available for flash or SSD storage, but even with HDD media I could not locate the previous secure erase options. Neither on a 2022 M2 MacBook Air nor on a 2018 Mac mini Intel running 15.4.1.

Yes, Secure Erase does appear to be missing from Disk Utility in macOS 15.4.1.

I don't have it on my MacBook Air 2022.

While "Secure Erase" might not be available for all types of drives, particularly SSDs, the "Erase" option in Disk Utility still provides the functionality to erase data with security settings, including options to overwrite the data multiple times. 

If the secure erase works by changing encryption keys, it would make sense for it only to be available for the internal SSDs of Macs with T2 chips or Apple Silicon processors.

"Did Apple removed security options when erasing external hard drive with disk utility on macOS Sequoia?: Hello. Does Apple removed security options when erasing external hard drive with disk utility? I remember it was there but now it won't show. I'm on Sequoia 15.4.1."

Creating a Time Machine Backup?:

Use APFS:

Just curious... I see you are using Sequoia here. Are you creating a Time Machine Backup? If so, use APFS format.

1. Go Here: Types of disks you can use with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support
2. As it Reads: APFS or APFS Encrypted disks are the preferred format for a Time Machine backup disk.