Data Removal Techniques The Safer Option

Data Removal Techniques The Safer Option

by

S.T

The data protection act becomes very important for those who store sensitive information, on computers. A lot of us, are unaware of the places our details are being currently stored and how secure the data is. It is common for information to become lost or stolen. In some cases, the data has become recovered by third parties, as the information has not been deleted using appropriate methods. Identity theft can ruin the lives if people and can cause many problems for those involved. It is important that people become more aware of the techniques that should be used to appropriately remove sensitive data, without the ability for it to be recovered.

Data destruction is ultimately one of the strongest and most secure ways to prevent data recovery. Techniques such as melting, crushing and drilling are used to prevent data recovery. These techniques cause complete destruction, which makes it one of the most secure techniques, as people cant put the millions of pieces back together again. However the equipment cannot be re-used, which causes major problems for large companies, as they would be at a major loss if all equipment become damaged. On site destruction is offered by some companies, making it easier and more convenient to remove data. The damaged equipment is then recycled. All equipment used should be approved by the government, before it is used. CESG approved tested equipment is one government approval certificate.

Another data removal method is data sanitizing. Hard discs, hard drives and magnetic media can all be sanitized to removed any unwanted data. This will ensure it has been completely removed before the equipment is released into the hands of others. Sanitizing is a very strong data removal technique as it removes data in a way that no other technique can. This method is great for companies who want to resell their equipment. Data clearing is a method by which the data is made unreadable to the computer. However this information can be recovered by using special software. This being a massive downfall of the technique and therefore should be avoided if the data you are storing, is highly confidential.

Some secure data destruction companies even offer on site methods of data removal or destruction. This is a great option for those companies storing highly confidential information, as it causes less hassle. People can also witness the data being destroyed, offering piece of mind to many. All equipment used should have been government approved and tested, so you can see it is suitable for the job. All equipment used must meet the standards required, to ensure it is suitable for the job.

It is vital for you to assess the information being removed, to ensure you use the most secure and appropriate method for your data. All methods are advantageous in some way, however some methods are much more secure than others, this makes it particularly important to choose the correct technique.

CESG approved

equipment

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Data Removal Techniques The Safer Option