Secure data wipe and data erasure: We destroy data as Well. In fact, data destruction is the opposite of data recovery: Data clean-up and secure data destruction services

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Privacy protection laws such as Data Protection Act in the UK require secure data management and data destruction of all customers and employees' information.  From retail sales to health care, the personal information collected in the course of doing business, requires your organisation’s compliance with a variety of EU and UK information security and privacy laws. Guaranteeing information security for both your business information and/or customer data stored on your computer hard drives and data storage devices is an absolute necessity for any business enterprise whether it is big or small. Data Recovery Lab can securely dispose of data providing you with a Secure Data Erasure Certificate. For more information call 0333 5777 120.

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You may need secure data erasure if:

You are recycling, giving away or disposing of computers, hard drives or any electronic media storage devices You are restructuring, merging or want to stop trading You must ensure the data is securely erased and is irrecoverable otherwise you will be committing an offence under Data Protection Act. Formatting or deleting the data DOES NOT MEAN that the data is destroyed; data from formatted or even faulty hard drives can easily be recovered and used. You or your company are liable if disposed electronic media such as hard drives are sifted for data and the acquired data is used for fraudulent or illegal activities. If your company stores any of the following on a computer or electronic storage device, you DO need data shredding services at some point:

·         Accounts Payable and Receivable,

·         Invoices

·         Acquisition Strategies

·         Ledgers

·         Advertising Misprints

·         Legal Papers & Documents

·         Bank Information

·         Magnetic Media Tapes & Disks

·         Bidding Strategies

·         Maps & Blueprints

·         Market Studies and research

·         Budgets

·         Medical Records

·         Building and Computer Access Codes, Usernames, PIN numbers and passwords

·         Company Meeting Minutes

·         Electronic Microfilm & Fiche

·         Classified Documents

·         New Product Proposals

·         Company Expansion and Reduction Plans

·         Patent Application Material

·         Payroll Records, Personnel Files and employee appraisals

·         Confidential Correspondence and Memos

·         Personal Bills and Financial Statements

·         Contracts and Agreements

·         Credit Card Information

·         Pricing Strategies, price lists and inventory Lists

·         Employment Applications

·         Proposals, Estimates and Quotes

·         Financial Records and investment information

·         Research & Development Reports

·         Income Tax Records

·         Insurance Coverage Records

·         Sensitive and Confidential Memos

·         Customer lists, address books & telephone numbers

Hard Disk Data Erasure:

A hard disk (commonly known as a hard disk drive (HDD) or hard drive (HD)) is a non-volatile device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. Hard disks hold more data and are faster than floppy disks. They can store anywhere from 10 to more than 500 gigabytes of data.

Hard disk drives are accessed over one of a number of bus types, including:

Hardware manufacturers often limit the use of the hard drive space for several reasons. In some cases the hard drive space is limited in order to ensure better usability while in other cases the limitations are related to performance qualities.

Hard drive features that prevent access to the entire physical hard drive surface are:

 NOTE: These areas could contain sensitive data therefore careful measures must be taken to ensure than data is also removed from these areas. An overwriting tool that is able to access all areas on the hard drive is critical in ensuring a complete erasure.

Existing methods of removing data from computer hard drives

Software overwrites:

Software overwriting involves using a special application to write patterns of meaningless data onto each of the drive’s sectors. This process works by overwriting the data with a combination of 1´s and 0’s. The level of security depends on the number of times the entire hard drive is written over. It is best to use certified software that provides detailed reporting of the erasure process.

Software overwrite advantages:

  1. Drives can be reused
  2. Increases the remarketing value of the computer
  3. Can be deployed over the network to target specific PCs. Erasure reports can be sent to a central database offering centralized management.
  4. Software tools that provide detailed reporting of the erasure process are able to validate the erasure of every PC erased.
  5. Convenient way to erase data
  6. Can be performed in-house eliminating the risk of media being stolen during storage or transit to a third party.
  7. Capable of destroying all the data on the hard drive
  8. Can be used to destroy data on a variety of magnetic hard drives irrespective of the drive interface
  9. Fast and simple process
  10. Large amounts of media can be destroyed at once

Disadvantages of software overwrites:

  1. Cannot be used if the media is damaged or is not writeable.
  2. Overwriting software that are unable to erase data on the locked/hidden sectors perform an incomplete erasure compromising data security.
  3. Overwriting software that operate through the BIOS/OS perform an incomplete erasure leaving some of the data still intact
  4. Overwriting software that do not generate detailed reporting of the erasure process are unable to provide a gapless audit trail

Degauss:

Degaussing involves using a machine that produces a strong electromagnetic field to destroy the data on the hard drive. Can be accomplished using a variety of methods, including disintegration, incineration, pulverization, shredding, melting, sanding, and chemical treatment. This method does not actually destroy data but makes the drive inoperable preventing data recovery. It should be carried out at an approved facility by trained and authorized personnel.

Disadvantages of degaussing:

  1. Modern hard drives use thicker shielding and require a much stronger electromagnetic field in order to ensure a complete erasure
  2. There is no way to guarantee that a particular degaussing machine is strong enough to destroy all the data on every hard drive
  3. The hard drives have to be physically removed from the PC
  4. Degaussing machines are expensive and special care must be taken to protect nearby equipment
  5. Degaussing does not provide reporting of the erasure process which is needed to prove regulatory compliance
  6. Can only be used on magnetic media

Physical Destruction (Physical Shredding):

Physical destruction involves using a variety of methods, including disintegration, incineration, pulverization, shredding, melting, sanding, and chemical treatment. This method does not actually destroy data but makes the drive inoperable preventing data recovery. It should be carried out at an approved facility having the correct facilities operated by trained and authorized personnel.

Disadvantages of physical destruction:

  1. Hard drives cannot be reused
  2. Other components of the drive are also damaged making it difficult to verify the erasure process
  3. Physical destruction does not provide reporting of the erasure process which is needed to prove regulatory compliance
  4. As hard drives cannot be reused and is therefore not an environmentally safe approach.
  5. Usually has to be outsourced to a third party therefore compromising data security as theft and uncontrolled handling can lead to unauthorized exposure of confidential data

 

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