Data theft can occur in a lot of different ways, the area that businesses often ignore is proper data disposal ways. A very effective data security involves both digital and physical destruction of media. For many of the companies, setting up a timetable for proper clearing out old files can help a lot in getting rid of outdated or pointless documents and clear up all that space around the office.
However, this method can also help a lot of businesses whether it be large or small, to lessen their risk of exposing personal data. Companies should apply a “spring cleaning” policy to their own business practice to make sure that old, outdated, and unwanted files and or papers are firmly destroyed. Doing this will surely help organizations avoid exposing personal information that can increase the risk of fraud, data breaches or identity theft that could result for their company, their customers or even their own employees.
There are numerous data disposal systems on the market to maintain security. Read below to learn how to select the right data disposal system for your company.
Shredding Is One of the best Data Disposal Method
Employees and business partners transfer data in numerous different methods and ways.as we all know that the most popular forms of physical data transfer are USB drives, solid state drives, and mobile phones.
We also know that the time of smashing DVDs in half or taking a hammer to destroy a mobile phone are over. As an Alternative, companies may use shredders that effectively wipe out transportable media in them. Theoretically, these systems work like an old-fashioned paper shredded. The portable media is incorporated into the system and shred in clear sight to the user. There are also some larger systems that are efficient of shredding hard drives as well. These units feature a conveyor belt to handle industrial-level data disposal.
Mechanical Destroyers
For a matter of fact shredders use electricity to shred all of your portable media. If there comes the event of a power outage, there are mechanical alternatives of shredders. Without any doubt destroyers are an efficient method to dispose of hard drives.
The method to use this method is as follows.
- Insert the hard drive into the hard drive slot.
- Pull down a handle.
- Crush it.
It is as simple as that.
The bits and pieces of the hard drive are ejected so that users can verify its destruction properly. Both of the motor and circuit board gets completely damaged which prevents it from being rebuilt and used again.
Degaussers Are Another Important Part of the Process
Up till here, we have listed a few techniques on how you can physically ruin your personal media. Nevertheless, there is an intermediate step to erase the data first. This method is known as degaussing.
In practice, a degausser uses a powerful magnet to disrupt the storage unit and erase the data. The process is very fast yet so simple. For all the desktop units, the hard drive is first inserted into a slot and the degaussing process takes only a few seconds. There are also wands that allow for handheld degaussing.
Here are ways you can incorporate a ‘ cleaning’ mentality into your company’s every day process.
Paper:
You do not have to throw old papers or files into the trash bin. Loose paper is often unattended before it has been recycled and can leave your organization susceptible to potential security violations. Papers in recycling bins can be misplaced or stolen anytime. As an Alternative, make sure you dispose of loose paper in a safe, locked console that cannot be retrieved until it is ready to be shredded by a reliable professional shredder.
Electronic sources:
Erasing disks and drives is no assurance that the data will be completely removed. Physical devastation, making the object incomprehensible by any machine is the safest and the best option.
Shred-all:
Implementing a “shred-all” policy for the disposal process when all unneeded documents are fully destroyed on a regular basis. This dramatically minimizes any potential risk or exposure.
Developing a clear set of guidelines and aligning the disposal policies throughout the business will ensure that the decision to destroy is taken out of the hands of individual employees and will minimize the risk of a data breach for the organization. Whether intentional or unintentional, leaked information can be preyed upon by criminal groups in order to commit fraud and identity theft crimes. It is important to maintain regular secure disposal of paper waste, proper organization and maintenance of stored records as well as an efficient and sound process for destroying outdated records that are no longer needed.
Conclusion
In this digital age, data security is a top most priority for companies that maintain reliable information. The good news is that technology has been created to efficiently dispose of portable media.
Businesses should execute a process in which media is demagnetized. Next, the media should be inserted into a shredder or destroyer to physically eliminate it.