Any business or person must properly destroy their end-of-life data. However, the procedure should adhere to the standards established by the industry and follow a full cycle to erase data. A single flaw in the system could have fatal repercussions, including identity theft, consumer distrust loss, financial fraud, theft of personal information, etc. We’ve covered several dos and don’ts of “safe data disposal” in this piece.
In the “Digital Age,” which we are currently experiencing, enormous volumes of data are being produced. The information assists organizations in coordinating their everyday operations, improving customer service, and predicting future trends. Data that is really critical, like company reports, need to be protected from theft and breach by unauthorized parties.
Additionally, the number of data breach occurrences is growing yearly. Therefore, the laws governing data protection are getting more and more stringent. As a result, correct disposal of digital data has grown in importance, with an equal emphasis on what must be done and what must be avoided.
Do’s of Secure Data Disposal
- Data Should Be Erased Depending on the Media Type
Data wiping and drive destruction physically destroying the drive are the two most popular methods for destroying data. Several different kinds of storage media are used to keep the data. There are various ways that each piece of material must be destroyed. To remove data from flash-based drives as well as hard discs, you may however use data eraser software. If you decide to destroy the drive, however, you must first consider the type of media and then select the best course of action.
- Select environmentally friendly techniques
To prevent e-waste, choose environmentally friendly data destruction techniques. By doing this, you’ll avoid creating landfills and keep the ecology from becoming clogged. Since it doesn’t produce any dangerous e-waste, the software-based technology such as BitRaser Drive Eraser for data erasure proved to be a lifesaver for the environment. The fact that it supports all forms of media is its strongest feature.
- Produce the asset report or certificate
End-of-life data deletion heavily relies on the asset report or certificate. It is the initial step that ensures you have deleted the data safely while keeping all important parties informed. The certificate also contains information about the system and device, as well as an erasure summary, erasure and validation data, and other information that can be utilized to comply with regulatory obligations.
- Develop a Decommissioning Checklist
A decommissioning checklist will accompany the asset’s certificate. It serves as a technique to guarantee that this list contains all the data that is prepared for disposal. If important data is hidden on the disc that was already sent for disposal and this list is not created, it will be lost.
- Locate a vendor that is certified to destroy data
Make sure the software is accredited, complies with all GDPR requirements, and offers the erasure certificate if you decide to proceed with software-based data erasure. However, if you decide to use a physical drive destruction service such as degaussing, shredding, or disassembly, thoroughly check the seller before sending your drive in. Before the data is destroyed, there will be a breach if you don’t check the credentials of your vendors. Professionals who know how to access your drive safely and without jeopardizing your sensitive data have access to your data, which is secure.
Don’ts of Secure Data Disposal
- Avoid Disposing of Old or Unused Media
Don’t fling your media at any arbitrary spot. The rationale behind this is that anything that is no longer necessary to you might still be beneficial to someone else. Your data may be abused if someone discovers your abandoned media and switches it on. The licensed providers of secure data disposal services are prepared to assist you with the best methods for destroying your data and guaranteeing its secrecy.
- Avoid Trying to Delete Data by Yourself
Your drive can break in pieces if you smash it with a hammer or drill holes through it. However, it is not impossible for a data thief to use it to steal information. Despite being challenging and time-consuming, it could result in identity and personal data theft. So, seek out a specialist who can destroy or disassemble the drives into unrecoverable pieces.
- Avoid breaking any regulations
Don’t destroy data while opposing and disobeying the specific regulatory compliances for data security and confidentiality, such as GDPR, HIPPA, ISO 27001, etc. This will violate the Data Security Act and result in hefty fines. Even the government has the power to impose penalties. Find a vendor for data wiping who has ISO 27001 accreditation and complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.
- Don’t keep your end-of-life data in reserve
Keep your unused media organized. Anybody can steal the media and utilize the data even if you keep the media securely in the locked zone and lock it. Find a suitable method right now to remove the data from the medium.
- Avoid Just-Recycling
To reduce environmental harm, the media should be recycled properly. When you get rid of the data, some media can be recycled entirely, while others can be repaired or reused. Therefore, before recycling the media, make sure that all of the data has been entirely erased using any data disposal method.
Briefly stated
The most successful companies and organizations safeguard their data. They treat data privacy and protection seriously and use the most secure and environmentally friendly method to dispose of the data, whether it be data erasing or physical drive demolition. Additionally, by adhering to the dos and don’ts listed in this piece, they can safely and effectively do data sanitization and data wiping.
