Top 5 Reasons Why Data Erasure Is Essential

Published: December 9, 2020

When you’re a business owner using today’s technology, data erasure isn’t just essential; it’s simply smart. Since data is largely private, securing data is your foremost priority when it comes to protecting your client base as well as your reputation. 

There are several ways to ensure that data is destroyed, so you don’t have to worry about future security breaches. Possible data hacks are one of the most important reasons data erasure is your most significant priority when you’re dealing with sensitive information. Here are the top reasons why destroying data is so important.

1. Securing your clients’ data – protecting the privacy of sensitive information.
2. Free up space you may need for more data. 
3. Gaining your clients’ trust – they know they can count on you for the most compliant, lawful, and private handling of their information.
4. Data erasure is good for the environment. Much better, in fact, than simply destroying hardware that could ultimately leave behind a large carbon footprint. 
5. Another great reason for erasing data is because your business has decided to convert to cloud-based storage. Cloud storage has many benefits, but you need to erase your old data first to reap these benefits. 

What are the Benefits of Data Erasure Solutions?

Another reason data erasure is of the utmost importance is so you can free up space. Though technology guarantees massive amounts of storage space, a busy business can fill up even terabytes of storage with precious client information. When data is no longer needed, freeing up space via data erasure solutions is necessary and simple.

Choosing the correct solution for you depends largely on what type of equipment you’re working with, how sensitive your data is, and whether or not you’re reusing your tech or simply recycling it—or destroying it altogether. 

The benefits of employing data erasure methods instead of attempting to erase data yourself include the peace of mind that comes from knowing that data is indeed gone, and there’s no risk of a breach. 

Another benefit is gaining the trust of your clients. When they know they can trust you to protect their data, your reputation stays intact. Of course, one of the most important benefits of data erasure is the fact that there are laws that protect the confidence and deletion of data, and your company must operate by these guidelines. 

Doing so by using lawful data erasure solutions is the best way to destroy data and do so in the most compliant manner. 

Best Data Erasure Methods

Why is data erasure so important? While avoiding hacks and freeing up storage are two good reasons to employ data erasure methods, there are other significant reasons why you should consider data erasure. The third compelling reason is that it’s environmentally friendly. You may imagine that simply destroying your tech can most definitely guarantee that its data is lost, and while that may be true, it’s not the most ecological way to destroy data.

So, what are some of the best data deletion methods to consider? Here are a few that will eliminate your data while staying compliant and environmental. 

• Overwriting/sanitizing data – This is a method that overwrites your data with specific software meant for this purpose. This is a safe and secure data deletion solution, but the downside of this is that it’s time-consuming and may not eliminate all data should freeware tools and/or locked sectors be a factor. This is recommended for data erasure of low-volume businesses or home tech, and it also may require more than one pass to overwrite data completely.
• Destroying hard drive – This should be a last resort method of data erasure used only if you’re looking to recycle your tech equipment. Destroying the hard drive means that yes, your data will be erased, and if done correctly, the equipment can be refurbished and resold or appropriately recycled to meet government standards. 
• Degaussing – Degaussing is another term for destroying the hard drive. This method uses a type of magnet to render the hard drive inoperable; however, this means that the tech is completely destroyed in effect. 
• Data erasure services – Employing a specific data erasure service is a good option when you have a lot of data to erase and it would be quite time-consuming to do it yourself. 
• Refurbishing a device – The process to recertify and reinstall operating systems on devices to be refurbished for the next user inherently adds an extra layer of data security after the old OS is wiped from the device. 

When to Use Certified Data Erasure Services

Another reason why data erasure is necessary is that it can generate revenue for your business. You may think that gaining new tech is great, but what if you could get some of your revenue back for your old tech? Hiring certified data erasure services could do just that – not only will this service provide data erasure but they’ll also appraise your tech once deletion is done and put money back into your pockets – and back into your company. 

When should you employ the services of data erasure specialists? If you need proof of erasure, this type of company will provide you with a certificate stating that data sanitizing was done in compliance with NIST guidelines. This gives you and your clients the security you need to ensure your data will never be corrupted or stolen. 

Another reason to use data services is that they are professionals, they know what to do, and they’re used to deleting large amounts of data for the biggest companies. Then, they’ll either refurbish your tech and resell it, giving you more revenue for your equipment, or they’ll dispose of it in the most planet-friendly way. Either way, you’re secure knowing your client’s data is safely deleted, and your tech won’t be clogging up any landfills.

To learn more about data erasure or to have your computers wiped of sensitive data, contact PlanITROI today.