Summary: This article will provide an in-depth understanding of data erasure, its growing need, and how data erasure today has become important for staying compliant with data protection laws. You will also gather insight into the role of data erasure in an organization, how it can help you mitigate data breach risks and the best data erasure solution for your organization.
IDC predicts that by 2025, the global data sphere will grow to 221 Zettabytes at an annual CAGR of 21.2%. With growing data, the risk of data theft and vulnerability is also on the rise. It is reported that 68 records are lost or stolen each second. That means, as an organization, data security is of utmost importance and cannot be overlooked at any stage of data handling. If data security is not taken care of, the repercussions can be heavy, both in terms of legal and financial costs, as well as tarnishing of brand image. To avoid such a situation, you need to ensure your storage devices don't become potential points for data leaks during their lifecycle when they change hands or reach the end of their life. Many accidental data leaks happen when users feel they have 'deleted' all sensitive data, but the data remains recoverable via technical and forensic methods. Data erasure is the most secure data sanitization technique that can be used not just to safeguard data from theft but also to stay compliant with data privacy norms.
Understanding Data Erasure
Data erasure is a software-based method of permanently erasing sensitive, confidential data on a device to make it irrecoverable while ensuring that the device is still reusable. Data erasure is employed when data is no longer needed, when storage devices are being repurposed, recycled, or discarded, or when there is a compliance requirement with data protection regulations. Data erasure or Data wiping ensures that unauthorized individuals cannot access sensitive or personal information, protecting data privacy, preventing data breaches, and reducing the risk of identity theft or other forms of data misuse. Unlike other methods of data destruction, it doesn't lead to device destruction and thus is environmentally friendly. It also reduces the cost burden of device replacement. Data erasure, aka overwriting, involves overwriting sensitive data with a series of 0s and 1s (or pseudo-random digits), making it unreadable and irrecoverable.
Choosing the best data erasure method for any storage drive depends on factors such as
the type of storage media (hard drives, solid-state drives, NVMe, mobile devices, tapes, etc.), the
level of security required, and compliance requirements. Organizations often
follow globally recognized media sanitization guidelines, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or R2V3 core requirements as defined by SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International), to ensure proper data erasure
procedures are followed. Based on different storage media devices, the overwriting process varies in terms of the overwriting patterns and number of passes used. The erasure method simultaneously verifies if the erasure is successful or not and is based on device type. For example, the DoD 5220.22-M standard uses three passes of 0s, 1s, and random characters for data erasure with 100% verification.
What is the Need for Data Erasure?
Organizations need data erasure to safeguard the privacy & confidentiality of the business data, prevent data leakages, and comply with regulatory laws & standards, especially when they are reallocating, reselling, or putting devices to rest. Traditional data deletion methods like deleting files and formatting devices are un-secure ways as they leave the data recoverable by DIY software and forensic methods. Read our blog on Myths of Data Erasure. A software-based data erasure software is advisable and is needed for:
1. Complete & Secure Data Destruction: It is the best method to securely erase data from your device, as no technical or forensic method can be used to recover the data post-erasure. Data Erasure using software like BitRaser ensures that your data is 100% removed from the storage device, leaving no trace behind. This helps prevent unauthorized access to personal or official data and reduces the risk of identity theft, fraud, or other privacy violations.
2. Preventing Data Leakage: While device destruction (shredding) might seem easy, sometimes it can lead to unauthorized data access or spillage if not performed properly. Data erasure software guarantees complete data removal by overwriting devices with 0s or 1s, leaving no recoverable traces. This ensures that data is permanently inaccessible once it is no longer needed.
3. Compliance with Data Protection Regulations: Many countries have data protection laws and regulations
that mandate the secure erasure of personal information (PII). Data protection laws like EU-GDPR, the California
Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the UK Data Protection Act, PIPEDA Canada, and DPD( India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act ) India all require data to be disposed of securely and proof of destruction to be maintained for compliance. Failure to comply with these regulations can
result in legal consequences, financial penalties, and reputational damage for
organizations. Data erasure software generates proof of data destruction and ensures compliance with these requirements.
4. Mitigating Data Breach Risks: In the event of data breaches, organizations can face significant penalties, lawsuits, and reputational damage. Proper data erasure ensures that data is permanently destroyed thereby mitigating the risk of financial and legal repercussions. This proactive approach of securely performing data wiping on PCs, laptops, Macs, Chromebooks, and other devices helps organizations safeguard their reputation and avoid huge penalties associated with data breaches. EU-GDPR imposes the highest penalty of Up to 20 Mn Euros or 4% of the company's global annual turnover, whichever is higher. Likewise, CCPA can impose fines of up to $2,500 per violation and up to $7,500 per intentional violation.
5. Promotes Device Reuse & a Sustainable Economy: When
electronic devices reach the end of their lifecycle (EOL), proper data erasure ensures that the device can be reused. Data erasure is an eco-friendly solution that allows reusing old devices and reduces e-waste. As per Elsevier Journal, Reusing hard drives cuts CO2 emissions by 5-18 kg per drive compared to new production and aluminum recovery through shredding. Data Erasure is a wise choice that supports sustainability and promotes a circular economy by minimizing environmental impact and conserving resources.
Data Erasure Helps You Stay Compliant With Data Privacy Laws
According to Security Boulevard, 57% of people blame companies - and not hackers - if their data is stolen or compromised. So, ensuring proper data sanitization using proven data eraser software is important for avoiding loss of customer trust and public backlash. But that's not all. You must also ensure compliance with national and international data protection and privacy regulations. To stay compliant, organizations need to produce documented evidence of every wiping performed in the form of certificates and reports of destruction to testify that every storage device/drive was securely wiped and free from exposure to any vulnerability.
Data erasure using trusted software can help you attain compliance with data privacy laws like GDPR, California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA), and the like. It also helps to stay compliant with the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, GLB Act, HIPAA, ISO 27001, ISO 27040, PCI DSS, etc.
The Role of Data Erasure
Data
erasure is not just a legal or moral obligation. Data erasure helps ensure data security for the company's invaluable data. The global
average cost of a data breach is reported as $4.24 million by IBM. Secure and
permanent data erasure guarantees that sensitive data is wiped beyond recovery,
and you stay safe from data breaches. By thoroughly erasing data, organizations
can reduce the risk of unintentional exposure and protect the privacy of
confidential data. Moreover, secure data erasure helps in ensuring data
protection at the cleansing stage of the data remediation process. You can
learn more about the role of data erasure in data remediation in our previous blog.
When data reaches the end of its usage lifecycle, data erasure helps
ensure globally compliant, eco-friendly, and effective data sanitization. By
ensuring proper data erasure, organizations can demonstrate compliance with
legal requirements, industry standards like ISO 27001, and data protection laws like CCPA, EU-GDPR, UK GDPR, PIPEDA Canada, and more.
Data erasure also plays a crucial role in promoting a circular economy by ensuring the secure reuse and recycling of IT assets. It prevents data breaches, facilitating the safe disposal or repurposing of devices. This process not only extends the lifecycle of electronic devices but also helps organizations achieve their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives by enabling the donation of sanitized devices for community well-being. By incorporating data erasure practices, businesses can contribute to environmental sustainability and social good while protecting sensitive information.
The Best Data Eraser Software For Your Organization
Professional data eraser software like BitRaser offers organizations all the benefits of secure data erasure for drives, PCs, laptops, Macs, Chromebooks, and mobile devices with an added advantage.
- With BitRaser, organizations can wipe devices off-site, on-site, and remotely. One software license works on all drives and devices. There are multiple variants, each suiting different customer needs. Read our article to learn more about BitRaser Variants.
- BitRaser is a NIST-tested and Common Criteria-certified data wiping software, and it ensures secure and permanent data destruction from a wide range of storage media.
- Software Automatically generates and stores tamper-proof reports and certificates on a secure cloud repository, which can come in handy during audits and compliance checks. You can see sample reports and certificates to understand the detailed reporting the tool generates.
- The software offers automation through an ISO customization process to help businesses save time and cost.
- The software has a Cloud API that helps in a smooth transfer of data erasure reports to the organization's IT Asset management tool.
- BitRaser follows a pay-per-use model that is easy on your pocket.
Conclusion
Data erasure is one of the most reliable, effective, and compliant method of sanitizing the device when the data is no longer needed. It is helpful when sensitive data-bearing devices are to be reused. It is secure, eco-friendly, legally compliant, and permanent, and leaves the data irrecoverable by all means. As data privacy norms become widespread and stringent, the need for data erasure will only increase, and the organization can take the lead by integrating a data eraser solution like BitRaser in their data lifecycle management. Reach out to us to know more.
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