What Is Data Wiping & Why Is It So Important Today?
Data wiping is the process of permanently removing data from a storage device. The procedure entails illegibly overwriting the storage device, which could be a laptop, desktop, server, loose drive, SSD, bulk drive, or mobile device. Even with the use of trustworthy data recovery software or in-laboratory services, the technique makes it impossible to recover data. In order to prevent data breaches, clean your storage device using a secure data sanitization program before selling or donating it.
Data wiping is more difficult than erasing or formatting data from a storage device (be it a hard drive, SSD, bulk drive, or mobile device). Although formatting your drive or deleting data helps free up space on your device, it does not guarantee that the data has been deleted. To give you a free room for more storage, it just hides the data files. After a brief episode of data erasure or rapid formatting, the data can be recovered using free DIY data recovery software.
Types of Data Erasing /Wiping
Data erasure is not a one-size-fits-all process. Your business can profit from a variety of types. The most popular varieties are a secure wipe, a single-pass overwrite, a three-pass overwrite, a seven-pass overwrite, and a single-pass overwrite.
Every kind has a unique procedure that, for the most part, is self-explanatory. A single-pass overwrite, for instance, involves only writing over the data once.
In order to permanently sanitise the device beyond recovery, data wiping entails overwriting the device with a stream of nonsensical characters, like 0s and 1s, at all user-addressable locations. Global data overwriting algorithms support the method. According to numerous international organisations like NIST and the DoD, the following types of data wiping are the most common:
#Single Pass Data Wiping
With a single pass data wipe, binary 0s are written overall addressable memory locations. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-88 Clear standard states that erasing data from devices so that it cannot be recovered is adequate.
#Two Passes Data Wiping
The two passes enable binary 1s to be used to erase data from addressable memory locations.
#Three Passes Data Wiping
This data wiping method uses numerous passes to enable overwriting with a random bit pattern before a final pass that is confirmed.
#Four Passes Data Wiping
The TSSIT OPS-II sanitization technique used by the Canadian RCMP was released in 1997. There are four overwriting rounds involved; the first three pass a cycle of alternate 1s and 0s, while the fourth pass consists of random characters.
# 33 Passes Data Wiping
According to the Pfitzner approach, data recovery is still possible after 20 runs of overwriting. Successful data wiping is nevertheless feasible when a complicated method with 33 passes and a mix of random characters is used.
# 35 Passes Data Wiping
Another algorithm that Peter Gutmann created in 1996 operates by 35 passes of overwriting some random data. In this type of data wiping, a complicated pattern that falls between the range of 5 and 31 is employed in each pass after using bogus values for the first and last 4 runs.
Refer to our article that describes the global standards for data erasure to have a thorough understanding of Standards and Methods of Data Wiping. To design your data destruction strategy, you may also want to consult our article on selecting the best erasure standard at https://www.cubexsoft.com/blog/us-dod-5220-22-m-data-wipe-standard/.
Major Advantages of Data Wiping
Data wiping using overwriting procedures not only safeguards private company information and stops data leaking, but also enables users to recycle and resell the storage device. Secure data deletion has a lot of advantages. Let’s look at the most important ones first:
Efforts to Reduce E-Waste
Law requires businesses and service providers to promote eco-friendly e-waste reduction strategies. Software-based data erasure is a sustainable solution that is crucial to the end-of-lifecycle of IT assets. The first step in reducing the risk of data breaches is secure data removal.
Provides Mental Peace
The guaranteed destruction of data beyond recovery is perhaps one of the most important reasons to spend money on a certified data wiping product or service. Zero data leakage by the conclusion of the IT asset lifespan is guaranteed by a tamper-proof audit trail. Once a dependable solution has been purchased, businesses and government agencies may breathe a sigh of relief without worrying about potential data breaches in the future.
Realize Regulatory Compliance
The requirement to follow data destruction policies and satisfy regulatory compliance is a crucial additional justification for data wiping. Professional service providers provide an audit trail and certificate as proof of permanent data deletion.
In conclusion, investing in a reputable data erasure program has a number of advantages. Users frequently become distracted, nevertheless, by the market’s enticing free or dubious offerings. Despite claims to the contrary, the likelihood of obtaining foolproof certificates for data erasure and complying with regulations is significantly lower when employing certified data erasure processes.
All storage devices, as was said in this article, go through a specific lifecycle before being abandoned. In order to set the example for secure data usage, it is the responsibility of data collectors and users to avoid obvious risks of leakage at all phases of IT asset management!
Why is Data Wiping Required?
ITADs and refurbishment businesses that deal with mass erasure of storage devices must wipe their data. In order to comply with international rules and regulations like SOX, GLBA, GDPR, and HIPAA, they require a scalable and automated data erasure solution like CubexSoft Data Wipe Tool.
Similarly, huge corporations, governmental organisations, or small businesses require a reliable data erasure solution to safeguard the privacy of their customers’ data when retiring an IT device. Every industry, including banking, automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, etc., has a requirement for data cleansing. Over time, the businesses in these sectors gather a considerable amount of client data. Therefore, companies require a customized solution to securely destroy the data kept on outdated devices.
Additionally, independent laptop and smartphone users store extremely private banking information online. Their privacy is seriously threatened, which could eventually result in unconscionable financial damages. A secure data wiping solution is urgently needed to avoid these likely difficulties.
