The Importance of Safe and Secure Data Erasure
Data erasure is increasingly more important for modern businesses, as it overwrites existing data on a determined storage device. The aim is to render the existing data unrecoverable, and this process doesn’t involve a simple file deletion. A simple deletion of a file isn’t permanent, as it can still be recovered with the appropriate software.
To guarantee that your data is permanently obliterated without the storage device being physically destroyed, the existing data needs to be overwritten across the entirety of the device and the file size reset to zero.
Importance of Data Erasure Services
Businesses deal with a lot of data, often sensitive, which must be handled with care. This care isn’t only applicable to when the data is being used and when it’s needed – it must also be handled with care when it needs to be disposed of. Modern businesses, publicly or privately run, often have information pertaining to clients and employees; information which can’t enter the public domain.
When this data isn’t destroyed properly, there are inadvertent disclosures of personal information. This has a negative impact on companies and leads to an impact on reputation due to negative media coverage. Brand damage, loss of revenue, and other internal repercussions will all be seen.
A famous case that portrays the importance of data erasure is the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust situation. The Trust was fined £325,000 when computer hard drives that contained highly sensitive information were being sold on eBay in October and November 2010. This information included patient records, children’s reports, stall National Insurance numbers, criminal convictions, home addresses, and much more.
Why Can’t the Hardware be Physically Destroyed?
Physically destroying a hard drive isn’t enough; even if the hard drive is shattered, it can be reassembled and transcribed. A literal destruction of it won’t guarantee the protection of your information, unlike with data erasure. The risk of reconstructed hard drives ending up in public hands, or being poorly disposed of, can bring about numerous problems that have the possibility of impacting your business.
How We Can Help
We offer our expert service in partnership with Blancco, who are the global leaders in both data erasure and secure data destruction software. We always ensure that you receive a professional and reliable service that guarantees your data is permanently erased. You will receive a full Due Diligence Pack, which includes all of the necessary certification for you to demonstrate your compliance with all of the latest legislation (should you have an Environmental Audit).
Devices that can have the data erasure service applied to them are:
- Laptops
- Mobile phones
- PCs
- Servers
- Tablets
- Networking equipment
- And much more
We understand the importance of data erasure, which is why we offer a high-quality service in partnership with Blancco that is completely hassle-free. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today if you want to know more about how we can help you or if you’re in need of specialised data erasure services for your business.