Evaluated Products List · tender compliance
NSA-Listed Degaussers in India
What the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List means, which Proton models appear on it, and when an Indian organisation actually needs one. If your tender says 'NSA listed', this page tells you exactly what to buy.
In one line: the Proton T-4 and T-5 degaussers and the PDS-75 and PDS-100 crushers are the NSA/CSS evaluated products in the Proton range and the ones to specify for Indian government, PSU, defence and BFSI tenders.
The range
NSA-evaluated Proton equipment available in India
| Attribute | Proton T-4 | Proton T-5 | PDS-75 | PDS-100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSA status | NSA EPL listed (degausser) | NSA EPL listed (degausser) | NSA listed (crusher) | NSA/CSS evaluated (crusher) |
| Method | Degauss — bi-directional pulse | Degauss — 2 Tesla pulse | Crush — manual | Crush — automatic |
| Field / force | ±20,000 Gauss | 20,000 Gauss (2 Tesla) | ~90° bend | ~90° bend, 8 sec auto |
| Verification | Internal Gaussmeter + LCD | Digital cycle counter + LCD | Operator action | Sensor-triggered + manual crank |
| Best for | Defence, government, PSU, secure rooms | Bulk decommissioning, data centres, banks | Branch, ITAD, manual lines | High-volume ITAD and production lines |
What the listing means in practice
The NSA evaluated these machines against its own criteria for magnetic media sanitisation and destruction. That matters commercially in India for two reasons:
- Procurement. A tender that says "NSA-listed degausser" is satisfied unambiguously. There is no argument to have with the technical evaluation committee about whether the pulse is strong enough.
- Audit. When your internal audit or your regulator asks how you dispose of media, pointing at an independently evaluated machine and at a manufacturer datasheet is a much shorter conversation than describing a spec sheet.
Choosing between the T-4 and the T-5
| T-4 | T-5 |
|---|---|
| Bi-directional ±20,000 Gauss via patented Reverse-Polarity | 2 Tesla (20,000 Gauss) single-sided per cycle |
| Cycle under one minute | Cycle under 20 seconds — roughly 3× the throughput |
| Internal Gaussmeter with LCD verification | Digital cycle counter with LCD status |
| 12 V battery operation option — no mains needed | No battery option |
| Usually chosen for secure rooms and tender compliance | Usually chosen for high-volume bulk work |
If your requirement is simply "NSA-listed degausser", either machine satisfies it. Choose on throughput and on the environment: the T-4's battery option wins in a secure room with no mains; the T-5's speed wins in a bulk decommissioning project.
Tender language you will see
| What the tender says | What it usually means | What to quote |
|---|---|---|
| "NSA listed degausser" | Must appear on the NSA/CSS EPL for degaussers | Proton T-4 or T-5 |
| "NSA/CSS evaluated HDD destroyer" | Must be an evaluated crusher | PDS-75 or PDS-100 |
| "Complying with DoD requirements" | Must meet US DoD sanitisation for unclassified data | T-1, T-1.2, T-1.5, T-4 or T-5 |
| "As per NIST 800-88" | Purge (degauss) for magnetic, destroy for flash | T-1.5 + PDS-75 + PDS-88 |
| "Minimum 20,000 Gauss" | Explicit field threshold in the spec | T-4 (bi-directional) or T-5 |
| "Degausser and shredder both required" | Magnetic and flash media in scope | Any degausser + PDS-88 |
| "Field verification certificate required" | They want per-cycle proof, not a label | T-4, T-5, T-1.5 or T-1.2 |
Before you bid. Ask us for the manufacturer datasheet, the EPL reference and an authorised-partner letter for your bid pack. We also help with GeM listings and PSU requirement interpretation.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions Indian buyers ask most often. Cannot find yours? Call us — we answer technical questions on the phone.
What is the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List?
It is the US National Security Agency's list of data-destruction equipment the NSA has evaluated, published as the Evaluated Products List (EPL). It covers degaussers, crushers and shredders that have been tested against NSA requirements for sanitising or destroying magnetic and optical media.
Is an NSA listing a legal requirement in India?
No — it is not a statutory requirement under Indian law. It is, however, extremely widely written into tender specifications by government departments, PSUs, police forces, defence organisations and many banks, because it is a shorthand for 'independently verified as effective'.
Which Proton degaussers are NSA listed?
The Proton T-4 and the Proton T-5 are listed on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List for hard disk drive degaussing. The T-1, T-1.2 and T-1.5 meet US DoD and NIST requirements for unclassified data but are not on the EPL.
Which Proton crushers are NSA evaluated?
The PDS-75 is an NSA-listed hard drive crusher and the PDS-100 is NSA/CSS evaluated and listed for destruction.
Do I need an NSA-listed degausser if I am a private company?
Usually not, unless your customers, your parent group or your certification body require it. A 1 to 1.5 Tesla DoD-compliant Proton machine meets NIST 800-88 purge for magnetic media, which is what most private Indian organisations need. Buy an NSA-listed machine if a tender says so, or if you serve defence, government or PSU customers.
Need an NSA-listed degausser for your tender?
Send us the specification clause. We will confirm the compliant model, provide the datasheet and EPL reference, and quote within one business day.