Data erasure

Deletion and erasure may sound the same, but these are two terms not to be confused. Data deletion leaves data recoverable, while data erasure is permanent; this is especially important for businesses, as getting these two terms confused can present significant issues under the conditions of the EU GDPR.
There is a lot of confusion around the definition of data erasure. Most of the trouble comes from the varying methods available to achieve it, for example, factory resets, reformatting, and data wiping are all methods that are not capable of performing real data sanitisation. Still, the vast majority of organisations believe these methods are suitable; this results in organisations leaving themselves vulnerable to a potential data breach.

Without suitable data disposal methods in place, an organisation can’t guarantee that it can protect its customers’ sensitive information. Businesses and consumers need to, therefore, keep track of data assets that have come to the end of their lifecycle, and then destroy them at their origin. This might not sound like too complex a job – even someone with a rudimentary knowledge of technology might be familiar, in theory, if not in practice, with concepts like a disk format or factory reset. Failing that, it might still occur to them to toss an old laptop into a skip rather than risk its unauthorised reuse.

Secure erasure is a must for businesses and consumers alike
Ensuring you understand the reasons for secure deletion is a step in the right direction. The confusion about what constitutes correct data sanitisation methods continues. Meaning, many businesses and consumers are in danger of data breaches and cyber-attacks. There are several solutions available to ensure the absolute destruction of any sensitive or personal data; these include world-class software’s, degaussers, and shredders.