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Quantum-Stable Sanitization Protocol (Q-SSP). A non-deterministic data erasure tool utilizing ANU Quantum Vacuum Fluctuations. Verified Shannon Entropy: 7.997 bits/byte.

doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18048291

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Q-SSP: Quantum-Stable Sanitization Protocol

Python License: MIT Status Platform DOI

A verified data destruction framework that shifts the foundation of data erasure from computational logic to physical indeterminacy.

By integrating Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG) with a Cryptographically Secure Expansion Engine (CSEE), Q-SSP generates non-repeating, entropy-rich wipe sequences that resist forensic reconstruction.

🛡️ Key Features

  • Quantum Entropy Source: Leverages subatomic vacuum fluctuations via the ANU Quantum Random Number API
  • Information-Theoretic Security: Achieves Shannon Entropy density of ~7.99 bits/byte (near theoretical maximum)
  • Hardware Seizure: Bypasses OS-level abstractions via kernel-level device handles for direct physical media access
  • Forensic Audit Trail: Generates cryptographically signed logs with SHA-256 validation chain
  • Multi-Platform: Supports both HDD and SSD architectures with adaptive overwrite strategies
  • NIST 800-88 Compliant: Meets "Purge" level requirements for secure media sanitization

⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING

THIS TOOL PERMANENTLY AND IRREVERSIBLY DESTROYS DATA.

  • ❌ NO RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE after Q-SSP execution
  • ✅ ALWAYS VERIFY target drive selection before proceeding
  • ✅ BACKUP CRITICAL DATA before use
  • ✅ TEST IN A VM with virtual disks first
  • ⚖️ UNAUTHORIZED USE may violate computer crime laws

By using this tool, you accept full responsibility for data loss.

📋 System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 10/11 (Administrator) or Linux (root access)
  • Python: 3.8 or higher
  • RAM: 4GB minimum (8GB+ recommended for large drives)
  • Hardware Access: Direct physical disk access (VMs may have limited functionality)

Dependencies

requests>=2.28.0
cryptography>=41.0.0
tqdm>=4.65.0
colorama>=0.4.6  # Windows only

📦 Installation

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Alpha-Legents/Q-SSP.git
cd Q-SSP

Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Verify Installation

python main.py --version

🚀 Usage

Basic Execution

Windows (Administrator Command Prompt):

python main.py

Example Session

                           ██████╗         ███████╗███████╗██████╗ 
                          ██╔═══██╗        ██╔════╝██╔════╝██╔══██╗
                          ██║   ██║ █████╗ ███████╗███████╗██████╔╝
                          ██║▄▄ ██║ ╚════╝ ╚════██║╚════██║██╔═══╝ 
                          ╚██████╔╝        ███████║███████║██║     
                           ╚══▀▀═╝         ╚══════╝╚══════╝╚═╝     

                    QUANTUM-STABLE SANITIZATION PROTOCOL | v1.0
             ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

[?] NAVIGATE TO TARGET DEVICE (Arrows + Enter):
     [0] Samsung SSD 850 EVO          | 500.11 GB
     [1] WD Blue HDD                  | 1000.20 GB
  >> [2] Virtual Test Disk            | 1.00 GB

»» TERMINATION PROTOCOL ARMED : DISK 2
[?] PROCEED WITH FULL DISK SANITIZATION? (y/n): y

[*] INITIALIZING FORENSIC CHAIN...
[*] CAPTURING PRE-WIPE STATE ████████████████████ 100% 
    >>> HASH: 9cce4b7a3751022e4bb05d84f86e81448b3c29d4...

[*] Q-SSP: Quantum Handshake (ANU Lab) | Attempt 1...
[+] QUANTUM ROOT ESTABLISHED: 760f2e966baecf2cb3c23bc2...

[*] ENGAGING PASS 1: QUANTUM VACUUM FILL...
[*] PASS 1: QUANTUM FILL ████████████████████████ 100% 

[*] ENGAGING PASS 2: AES-256-CTR (QUANTUM NONCES)...
[*] PASS 2: AES-CTR WIPE ████████████████████████ 100% 

[*] VERIFYING ENTROPY COMPLIANCE...
    Shannon Entropy: 7.997 bits/byte ✓

[+] SANITIZATION COMPLETE
[*] Audit Certificate: ./audit_logs/QSSP_AUDIT_20251224_142224.log

📊 Performance Benchmarks

Tested on: Intel i7-12700K, 32GB RAM, NVMe Gen4 SSD

Drive Size Type Passes Time Throughput Entropy
120 GB SATA SSD 2 ~8 min 250 MB/s 7.997
500 GB SATA HDD 2 ~45 min 185 MB/s 7.996
1 TB NVMe SSD 2 ~15 min 1.1 GB/s 7.998
2 TB SATA HDD 2 ~3.2 hrs 174 MB/s 7.997

Notes:

  • Performance varies based on disk I/O capabilities and system load
  • SSD performance may be affected by TRIM and garbage collection
  • Network latency to ANU Quantum API may impact initialization time (~200-500ms)

🏗️ Technical Architecture

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│          ANU Quantum Random Number API               │
│       (Vacuum Fluctuation Measurements)              │
│        https://qrng.anu.edu.au/API/                  │
└────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┘
                     │ Raw Quantum Entropy (128-2048 bits)
                     ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│    Cryptographically Secure Expansion Engine (CSEE) │
│                                                     │
│  • AES-256-CTR Mode                                 │
│  • Block Mixing & Salting                           │
│  • Adaptive Reseeding (every 10GB)                  │
│  • Shannon Entropy Validation (>7.99 bits/byte)     │
└────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                     │ Expanded High-Entropy Sequences
                     ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│       Low-Level Hardware Seizure Layer (LLHS)       │
│                                                     │
│  • Kernel-Level Handle Acquisition                  │
│    (Windows: \\.\PhysicalDrive, Linux: /dev/sdX)    │
│  • OS Cache Bypass (FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING)         │
│  • Direct Sector Addressing                         │
└────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                     │ Direct Physical Writes
                     ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Physical Storage Medium (HDD/SSD)           │
│                                                     │
│  PASS 1: Quantum Random Fill                        │
│  PASS 2: AES-256-CTR Encrypted Overwrite            │
│  VERIFY: Entropy Analysis + SHA-256 Validation      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

⚖️ NIST 800-88 Compliance & Standards

While legacy standards like DoD 5220.22-M are increasingly insufficient for modern SSD architectures, Q-SSP is designed to meet the "Purge" level requirements of NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1:

Compliance Features

NIST Requirement Q-SSP Implementation
Clear ✓ Logical data removal via multi-pass overwrite
Purge ✓ Physical media disruption via quantum entropy
Destroy ⚠️ Physical destruction not included (hardware-level)
Verification ✓ SHA-256 hash chain + entropy validation
Documentation ✓ Cryptographically signed audit logs

Key Security Properties

  • Information-Theoretic Security: By utilizing non-deterministic quantum vacuum fluctuations, Q-SSP ensures overwrite patterns are mathematically incompressible and non-deterministic
  • Physical Media Disruption: Forces physical state changes across NAND cells, neutralizing "ghost data" risks from SSD over-provisioning and wear-leveling
  • Forensic Chain of Custody: SHA-256 verification at each stage with timestamped, cryptographically signed audit certificates

📄 Documentation

Whitepaper

Official Technical Whitepaper * Status: Published (December 2025) * DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18048291

Title: Q-SSP: A Verified Quantum-Entropy Protocol for Information-Theoretic Data Sanitization * Author: Aaron Lijo

Abstract: This research addresses the "Sanitization Gap" in modern NAND-flash storage by utilizing subatomic vacuum fluctuations as a non-deterministic entropy source. Benchmarking confirms a measured Shannon Entropy of 7.997 bits/byte, providing information-theoretic security against advanced forensic recovery.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this safe to use on my primary drive?
A: NO. Q-SSP permanently destroys all data with no possibility of recovery. Only use on drives you intend to completely wipe.

Q: How does this compare to shred, DBAN, or manufacturer secure erase?
A: Q-SSP uses true quantum entropy (non-deterministic) versus PRNG-based tools (deterministic). See whitepaper Section 3 for detailed comparison.

Q: Does this work on SSDs?
A: Yes, but with limitations due to wear-leveling and over-provisioning. For maximum security on SSDs, combine Q-SSP with manufacturer-specific secure erase commands (ATA Secure Erase, NVMe Format).

Q: Can I recover data after Q-SSP runs?
A: No. The use of quantum entropy ensures mathematical irreversibility. Even with full knowledge of the algorithm, the overwrite sequences cannot be reconstructed.

Q: Why quantum entropy instead of /dev/urandom?
A: PRNGs like /dev/urandom are deterministic—if an attacker knows the seed, they can reconstruct the sequence. Quantum entropy is fundamentally non-deterministic, providing information-theoretic security.

Q: How long does it take to wipe a 1TB drive?
A: Approximately 15-90 minutes depending on drive type (SSD vs HDD) and interface speed. See performance benchmarks above.

Q: Is the ANU Quantum API connection secure?
A: Yes, all API calls use HTTPS. However, note that quantum entropy is fetched at initialization—a network outage will cause the operation to fail. Offline QRNG support is planned for v2.0.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Areas for Contribution

  • Performance optimization for large-scale deployments
  • Hardware QRNG integration (e.g., Quantis, IDQ devices)
  • Additional verification methods (magnetic force microscopy simulations)
  • Cross-platform testing (macOS, BSD variants)

🔬 Research & Citation

If you use Q-SSP in academic research, please cite:

@misc{lijo2025qssp,
  author = {Lijo, Aaron},
  title = {Q-SSP: A Verified Quantum-Entropy Protocol for Information-Theoretic Data Sanitization},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {\url{https://github.com/Alpha-Legents/Q-SSP}},
  note = {Research Prototype}
}

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

⚠️ Legal Disclaimer

Q-SSP is presented for academic and experimental purposes only.

  • The author strongly discourages unauthorized or malicious use for irreversible data destruction
  • This tool should only be implemented and tested in controlled, ethical environments
  • The author assumes no liability for misuse, data loss, or legal consequences arising from use of this software
  • Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations regarding data destruction

By using this software, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this disclaimer.

📬 Contact & Support

🙏 Acknowledgments

  • ANU Quantum Random Numbers: For providing public access to quantum entropy via their API
  • NIST: For establishing rigorous standards in SP 800-88
  • Open Source Community: For feedback and contributions

Made with ⚛️ quantum randomness and 🔐 cryptographic rigor

Version 1.0.0 | Last Updated: December 2024

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Quantum-Stable Sanitization Protocol (Q-SSP). A non-deterministic data erasure tool utilizing ANU Quantum Vacuum Fluctuations. Verified Shannon Entropy: 7.997 bits/byte.

doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18048291

Topics

python data cryptography entropy forensics cybersecurity quantum-computing data-privacy qrng data-sanitization nist-800-88

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Q-SSP v1.0.0: Initial Research Release Latest
Dec 25, 2025

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