Five tips to properly delete sensitive data

Nov 7, 2006 3:31 PM

           

"Delete" does not necessarily mean gone, according to Jim Reinert, senior director of software and services for Ontrack Data Recovery. Erasing sensitive information takes more than hitting the "delete" key or putting unwanted documents in the recycle bin and emptying the trash. Data must be overwritten or else it still exists on the hard drive.

A recent survey found that of 300 business technology professionals, only 18 percent say their organizations use products that delete data so thoroughly that it is completely unrecoverable.

Microsoft recently released privacy guidelines aimed at helping companies adopt more rigorous and cohesive standards for safeguarding personal information -- standards that the company itself has adopted internally.

Reinert says the most effective way to delete data is to use professional deletion software that overwrites all addressable sectors on the drive to specific standards.

"Data deletion is becoming increasingly important as both businesses and individuals continue to store more and more valuable information," he says.

To assist companies in practicing effective, efficient deleting, Ontrack offers the following advice to protect a company's -- and its customers' -- sensitive data:

1. Normal erasing of files is not enough. The "delete" command only updates a table that tells the operating system that the file has been deleted. Even though average users are not able to access the file, the entire contents of the file are still there.

2. Formatting. Many people believe that reformatting their drive will be sufficient to erase the old data -- that is not the case. As with deleting, the format command updates tables indicating that all files and catalogues have been deleted, but does not physically delete the data from the storage medium.

3. Overwriting with file shredding software. Common file deletion tools only erase certain files and certain partitions, never the entire hard disk. This is a common misconception for companies trying to delete old data. Using these tools, it is difficult to guarantee that all data has physically been overwritten. A user cannot control when and where data is saved on the media because the system may have saved the same contents at several different "temporary" sites. To be sure that all data is overwritten, it is best to use professional data deletion software.

4. Dealing with damaged media. Even if storage media is severely damaged, the information on it may still be accessible. It is possible to partially or fully retrieve data that is stored on a physically damaged storage medium. For situations where companies need to dispose of damaged media, they should use a degausser that can demagnetize the data and completely erase the drive.

5. Multiple solutions. For any company looking to bring its deletion policies in line with Microsoft's suggestions, it is imperative that they work with a professional vendor that offers multiple solutions.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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