In 2012, the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital in the UK was fined £325,000 for a data breach that exposed patients’ private data. The data was on hard drives that were marked for destruction but were not disposed of properly.  In 2006, confidential information on Idaho Power Co. employees in the US was exposed after old company hard drives were sold on eBay. These are examples of the damage that can come from failing to do proper data destruction.  

Data Destruction and Cybersecurity 

Data destruction is a desirable term in Cybersecurity. In this context, the data is erased, degaussed, or overwritten to make it useless. It also involves the physical destruction of the data storage device.  This eliminates the threats that emanate from the data falling into the wrong hands.  

Data destruction is a vital task in the Cybersecurity of any organization. This is because insecure data, easily accessible on old hard drives, can provide crucial information.  Hackers and other malicious actors can use the data in their reconnaissance before they strike.  

Secure data destruction can, therefore, be seen as an integral part of implementing a strong cybersecurity plan.  Any business that intends to combat today’s threats effectively must have a sound data destruction plan. 

What Kind of Data Should be Destroyed?

No data should be outside an organization’s control. All data except that released through the press office or other communications should only be considered for internal consumption.  Cybercriminals have become very adept at extracting data from the most innocent data files. Applying advanced forensics tools to this data can reveal a lot more information, including IP addresses, senders and recipients, department roles, and other useful information.  

Data destruction at SPW ensures that all data on storage drives not in use does not leave the business premises and control.  Storage drives marked for second-hand markets are thoroughly sanitized before they are put up for sale.  

Why Do Data Destruction?

There are several reasons for data destruction from a security point of view; 

Protection Against Hacking 

Cybercriminals are very methodical in probing and identifying points of weakness through which they can penetrate.  An old hard drive can reveal handy information that can help these mapping efforts. Metadata on files can reveal IP address ranges, computer OS versions and other applications in use.

Data destruction services ensure information sensitive information is wiped entirely from storage devices before third parties handle them.  

Intellectual Property Protection 

Intellectual property theft is a big threat to business competitiveness and market position.  Corporate espionage has become a lucrative industry, with business rivals willing to pay millions of dollars for business secrets. 

Destroying old data ensures it does not fall into the hands of corporate spies and business rivals.  It should be seen as a vital task in company asset protection because it extracts continuous value from IP into the future. 

Staff Protection 

Business rivalry at times extends to seeing key human resources as threats that should be neutralized. Business rivals will try to lure, blackmail, extort and even kidnap valuable personnel, especially those holding vital intellectual property. 

Data destruction makes it harder to identify different staff roles.  It also prevents exposure of confidential private information such as identification numbers, family details, and addresses.  Without access to such information, threat actors are less capable of threatening staff. 

Protection Against Adverse Legal Actions

Privacy laws have made it punishable for businesses to handle customer data in ways that do not ensure security. In 2015, US retailer Home Depot was fined $100 million for a data breach that exposed its customers’ confidential information. 

Private data handling in the US is guided by the  Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Businesses with European customers must follow the General Data Protection Regulation. Correct data destruction protects a business against legal implications that could cripple it and force it to shut down. 

Protecting the Brand 

Data breaches are very damaging for any business, especially those in financial and health services.  A study showed that small businesses that suffer a data breach have a 72% likelihood of closing down within two years of the data breach. This is because of the harm done to the brand and the mistrust that comes with it. 

Customers will stick with a brand where they feel secure. Data destruction ensures that a data breach does not sully a brand. 

Professional Data Destruction 

Competent data destruction is more than doing a full hard drive format. Engaging a data erasure solutions service will ensure that this is done correctly. Data destruction services have professional know-how and the tools to ensure complete erasure. 

Cybercriminals employ very advanced forensics tools which must be countered with equally advanced tools.  For a more permanent solution, a data destruction service will physically destroy the storage device.  These methods eliminate these risks permanently.