Checked out the GOTD today too late to post in comments, where there was some confusion regarding SSDs. So, a [hopefully] quickish post here...
With a conventional hard disk, data is recorded on round platters -- think vinyl record & record players or turntables. Now think of a dirt path, and how traffic has been mostly in one or two ruts, but some have strayed a little to one side or the other -- relatively few go exactly down the center. Inside that conventional hard disk write heads float on a Very thin cushion of air, and can wobble a very tiny bit from one side to the other as they write new data magnetically on the platter(s). The idea behind erasing a conventional hard disk is that if you simply overwrite [zero out] any data that has been written, the write head(s) may wander a bit to the right, when the data you want to get rid of was written slightly to the left. In that case someone(s) with highly specialized tools **might** be able to read the traces of data left behind. So the solution provided by erasing software is to overwrite any existing data several times, because odds are the write head(s) will wobble right and left during these multiple passes, wiping out any stray data that gets missed by the 1st pass.
While it's not a bad idea if you're sending a PC/laptop in for repair, or turning one in after a lease etc., I think most companies and gov agencies worried about security just destroy old hard disks -- there are services that will come to you with special shredders in the back of a truck.
Now, SSDs pretend that they're conventional hard drives so that they'll work with PCs, laptops etc. Data is written to storage as determined by the SSDs firmware, which spreads data writes/storage all over the place, so that none of that storage is used more than others -- since the chips SSDs use for storage will only last for X number of writes, without this wear leveling a portion of the SSD would wear out quickly, while the rest was barely even used. To complicate matters, SSDs include extra storage that's swapped out with the regular storage as the firmware sees fit. And the storage in SSDs cannot be overwritten, like with a conventional hard disk -- storage must be cleared before it can be written to again. Because it takes longer to clear that storage and then write to it, both the SSD firmware & Windows periodically run an operation called Trim, which preemptively clears storage of files [data] that's been deleted. Trim in effect does what erase is meant to, getting rid of old data so it can't be recovered.
BUT, remember I said there's extra storage that can be swapped, and that an SSDs firmware spreads the writing of data all over the place. It's possible to have old data stored in an SSD that the firmware has basically lost track of, because it changed the location of where some data was stored. and doesn't necessarily clear the old storage location afterward. In theory the solution's simple -- SSD manufacturers include a firmware command to zero out everything, returning an SSD to fresh, out of the package condition. In truth however, it doesn't always work, depending on brand/model of SSD -- AFAIK there's no all inclusive list where you can find out if your SSD clears everything or not. Since individual chips used for storage can survive shredding, incineration may be the only guaranteed way to ensure that data's gone forever.
Memory [e.g. SD] cards and USB sticks are more diverse than SSDs -- there are only so many companies making SSD firmware controllers -- so they're kinda all over the place in the ways that their firmware works. [USB stick firmware can even be altered to do bad things, from spying to malware type attacks.] A complete overwrite, e.g. a slow format, may be about all you can do if you're returning a defective USB stick, but otherwise, if you need to make sure data is never recovered, destroy it.
That all said, there is only a relatively small number of people who can recover overwritten data on a conventional hard disk, &/or who can maybe read the data on individual storage chips in an SSD or USB stick that's been cleared. For many [most?] the risk is too small to pragmatically consider. As for erasing an SSD using whatever software, *if* the software does not recognize that it's an SSD, every pass zeroing out all data simply shortens the life of the SSD, but not by much, since most will withstand many thousands or even millions of writes. Plus, the main reason IMHO to erase an SSD is if you're going to get rid of it, so what do you care?