The present disclosure relates generally to writing and reading data from a magnetic tape storage media and, more particularly, to a secure erasure system for the eradication of the data contained in the data tracks of a tape media such that substantially all of the data can be erased while leaving the servo bands substantially unaltered or within specification. A data tape cartridge erased with such a system can then be reused in a secure data storage environment with complete confidence that any data from a previous usage is not subject to discovery.