Data security is pivotal for both big and small businesses. It is important that the proprietary information that is stored on digital devices or hard drives be erased and destroyed once that information is of no use anymore. The last thing a company wants is their data to end up in wrong hands which can lead to serious legal consequences. Still, very few people are aware of the right way of data destruction so that data becomes incapable of being recovered by anyone else.
Data destruction
When data is destroyed, the idea is to make data fully unreadable no matter on what electronic media data was stored. Data destruction process includes making sure that data cannot be recovered and utilized for unauthorized purposes. Destroying data implies that it can no longer be read on an application or operating system. Simply deleting the file is not sufficient. When you delete a file stored on an electronic device, you will not be able to see the file anymore but the information will still be stored on the hard drive or memory chip of the device. Hardware data destruction involves overwriting the current data with random data until the present data cannot be retrieved or destroying the electronic medium on which the data is stored.
Importance of data destruction
Today, companies of all sizes rely on electronic media for their crucial business operations. Thus, data stored on the equipment needs to be protected at all times. Nevertheless, at the end of its lifecycle, the data needs to be destroyed securely. You might have important information stored on the equipment that you wouldn’t want to share with anyone. Your organization has legal requirements for data destruction, more so when you function on a global scale where distinct countries and distinct regions can have their own legal requirements concerning data destruction. Thus, the importance of destroying data cannot be overestimated.
It is vital for companies to consider multiple factors prior to choosing how they would destroy their data. The factors include the following:
Cost: See if your company can afford to get rid of their old equipment or if it is interested in reusing old electronic media for new purposes. The answer to such questions will help you in determining the kind of destruction method you can make use of.
Time: Does your company regularly engage in data destruction or has it stockpiled old storage equipment to do huge amount of data destruction at once. The distinct methods of data destruction function on a distinct timescale. Knowing the amount of time you are ready to spend will determine your choice of method.
Certification and validation: In case you are destroying your data because it is a legal requirement or a regulatory issue in your industry, ensure the method you select permits you to meet the requirements or standards of data destruction.
Even though there are multiple regulations that concern data breaches, there are some standards for destroying data. One of the most renowned standards is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines that offer good data destruction standards but one is not required to adhere to them. The IRS Publication 1075 regulations are applicable to agencies that access federal tax information so that the IRS and the local and state governments that utilize IRS data to validate eligibility for assistance programs follow these standards. A lot of these regulations follow the strictest standards- those of the NSA (National Security Agency). The regulations of the NSA are also applicable to the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), DOD (Department of Defense) and any important secret data. Across the world, these standards are the highest and have been adopted by a range of other important organizations.
