https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Sponsored Content


Sponsored

Hard Drive Sanitization — Not All Methods Are Equal

Hard Drive Sanitization — Not All Methods Are Equal

  • Written by Security Engineered Machinery
  • 1st September 2022

Simply put, destruction is final, whereas erasure is not.

In 2019, Blancco, an international data security company, released an article discussing various end-of-life data destruction methods and comparing drive destruction to data erasure. In the article, Blancco recommends weighing the level of impact certain end-of-life data can have in the case of a data breach combined with how quickly the data may age out. They then suggested basing the method of sanitization off that assessment.

In fact, there should never be an assessment of this nature when handling sensitive, confidential, or personally identifiable information (PII). It is always best practice to treat all end-of-life data as never aging out and having a potentially high level of harm if breached as both can be impossible to predetermine. There is no statute of limitations when it comes to data breach, meaning that an end-of-life drive can cause a breach years after it was discarded.

Another recommendation Blancco makes is opting for a third-party vendor to sanitize and destroy end-of-life data and devices. Even though Blancco suggests carefully researching and vetting the vendors to ensure they are properly destroying your devices, introducing a third party significantly increases the chain of custody and companies face a far higher risk of data breach every step of the way when opting for this route.

While there are some reputable data sanitization vendors out there, there have been numerous instances where ITAD vendors misused, mishandled, and misplaced drives when in transportation, and in the actual acts of destruction and disposal. There have even been reports of some vendors selling end-of-life devices and their sensitive information to online third parties. Security-focused organizations should avoid using ITADs altogether simply because the security risks can be unpredictable and potentially catastrophic. Instead, opt for in-house data sanitization using high-security destruction equipment and trusted personnel.

A common data destruction misconception is that erasing or overwriting a drive and degaussing are synonymous with one another. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking can quickly become dangerous depending on the kind of information you are looking to destroy. While methods such as cryptographic erasure and data erasure would allow the drive to be used again, as Blancco suggests, you run the high risk of leaving behind sensitive data which can become a gold mine for hackers and thieves. Conversely, degaussing scrambles data and leaves magnetic media completely inoperable, which should always be the goal.

While degaussing is not possible for the destruction of end-of-life data on solid state drives (SSDs), best practice dictates following NSA standards and degaussing all magnetic media, including hard disk drives (HDDs), prior to destruction. Once the device has been degaussed, it should be physically destroyed. The combination of degaussing and physical destruction for HDDs is without a doubt the most secure method of ensuring your end-of-life data stays at the end of its life. Not even the most skilled of hackers will be able to get any information off the drive, simply because there’s nothing left on it to hack!

Note: solid state drives (SSDs) and optical media cannot be degaussed so must be physically destroyed beyond recognition. The NSA recommends a 2mm final particle for SSDs and optical media.

Regardless of the catalyst for end-of-life drive destruction, it is always best practice to conduct sanitization in-house. It is also important to remember that a data breach is a data breach, no matter the level of impact. Using in-house destruction equipment with vetted personnel is the safest, most secure way to ensure your end-of-life data is actually at the end of its life.

 

Brought to you by:

Tags: Sponsored Content Sponsored

Most Recent


  • Strategic Budgeting for Modern Government
    Your government’s budget is the most crucial policy document that you create. Make every tax dollar count with these best practices for cities and counties.
  • Four Steps to Better Municipal Fleet Fuel Purchasing
    Protect your municipal fuel budget When you work in government functions, it comes with the territory that you’re doing more with less. Unlike the private sector, a municipal agency can’t just raise prices as needed. This is significant in two ways: first, not only is “raising revenue” not an available option, but second: you can’t […]
  • Modernizing government services for today's resident expectations
    How to deliver a delightful resident experience, even with legacy back-office systems. Upgrading IT infrastructure, back-office systems and user experiences lies at the heart of most conversations surrounding the modernization of state and local governments. Separating the resident experience from the back-office system of record is the first step to modernization. To read the whole […]
  • The Positive Impact of Cooperative Purchasing on Schools
    Developing and posting a Request for Proposals (RFP) and then poring over multiple bids before choosing a service provider and signing a contract can help schools find value in purchasing, but it’s an onerous and time-consuming process. When buyers need essential supplies right away, they don’t have the luxury of waiting. This is why a […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Scenic Civic Center Sees the Bigger Picture, Optimizes Total Cost of Ownership with New Roof
  • CASE STUDY: University Leverages Cooperative to Redefine Library with AV Solutions
  • A Country in Crisis: Data Privacy in the US
  • Addressing Price and Supply Volatility in Uncertain Times

White papers


Modernizing government services for today’s resident expectations

24th January 2023

Preparing Your Community Now for the Next Generation of Older Adults

18th October 2022

Helping Government Fleets Achieve Their Goals

30th September 2022
view all

Webinars


How To: Evaluate Digital Government Service Delivery Technologies

23rd January 2023

Using Technology to Enhance Communications

29th November 2022

Learn the benefits of transforming and automating your Contract Management process

4th November 2022
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


These 10 American cities are well prepared for a tech-based future

1st February 2023

Report: While remote work is causing offices to empty out, walkable cities are still in high demand

26th January 2023

10 American cities with a great downtown

24th January 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Amid spike, federal transportation department launches initiative to curb traffic-related deaths dlvr.it/Shvs31

3rd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Engaging businesses to strengthen your community dlvr.it/ShvZn0

3rd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: Some public employees face financial hardship; comprehensive pay packages proved ‘a pathway toward economic… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

2nd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Strategic Budgeting for Modern Government dlvr.it/ShrHmD

2nd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

These 10 American cities are well prepared for a tech-based future dlvr.it/Shp7sH

1st February 2023
AmerCityCounty

How public health can build a “one health” infrastructure for the future dlvr.it/ShnlKm

1st February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Four Steps to Better Municipal Fleet Fuel Purchasing dlvr.it/ShnbWP

1st February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: With increase popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters, there’s a need for ‘safe and connected infrastructure’ dlvr.it/ShlKmJ

31st January 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.