What are the best practices for securely destroying data?

1 What is data destruction?

Data destruction is the process of erasing, overwriting, shredding, degaussing, or physically destroying any device or media that contains sensitive or confidential data. The goal of data destruction is to make the data unreadable and irrecoverable by any means, including software tools, forensic methods, or laboratory techniques. Data destruction is different from data deletion, which only removes the pointers to the data but does not erase the actual data from the storage device.

2 Why is data destruction important?

Data destruction is important for several reasons. First, it protects your organization from legal, regulatory, or reputational risks that may arise from data breaches, identity theft, fraud, or espionage. If you fail to destroy your data properly, you may expose yourself to fines, lawsuits, or loss of trust from your customers, partners, or stakeholders. Second, it helps you comply with data privacy principles, such as the right to be forgotten, the right to erasure, or the right to data portability. These principles require you to respect the wishes of your data subjects and delete or destroy their data when they request it or when it is no longer needed. Third, it frees up your storage space and reduces your environmental impact by disposing of your obsolete or redundant devices or media in a responsible way.

3 How to perform data destruction effectively?

The type, size, and sensitivity of your data, as well as the device or media that stores it, will determine the best method of data destruction. Generally speaking, erasing involves using software tools to overwrite the data on your device or media with random or meaningless patterns. This method is suitable for low to medium sensitivity data and for devices or media that you want to reuse or donate. However, it is not foolproof and may leave traces of data that can be recovered by sophisticated techniques. To increase security, multiple passes of overwriting and verification with a tool should be used. Shredding involves using a machine to cut your device or media into small pieces that cannot be reassembled or read. It is suitable for medium to high sensitivity data and for devices or media that you want to recycle or dispose of. Degaussing requires a device that generates a strong magnetic field to erase the data on magnetic devices or media like hard drives or tapes. This is suitable for high sensitivity data and for devices or media that you want to recycle or dispose of, but it is not compatible with solid-state devices or media. Physically destroying your device or media involves using a hammer, drill, or other tool to damage it beyond repair. This is suitable for high sensitivity data and for devices or media that you want to recycle or dispose of, but safety precautions must be taken as it can cause injury or fire.