Data is a significant asset for any company. Making sure it is safe from harm and keeping it private is vital. Data must be properly stored properly, secured, and properly disposed. Data breaches and theft are just a few of the major dangers that your company faces in the present.
The process of data destruction is vital to ensure that your data remains secure and safe. The process involves eliminating information that is no longer required. This ensures that data stays private and your business doesn’t face any security breaches or compliance issues.
There are numerous benefits of data destruction, however one of the greatest advantages is that it lowers the risk of exposure to. But, it can be extremely time-consuming as well as difficult. It is a lot of supervision and management.
We’ll discuss some of the primary reasons to destroy data , and also the best way to go about it in the correct method.
Why you should erase the data
1. Legal Compliance
The destruction of data is an requirement of law for companies in certain industries. The policies for retention of data in the digital age have been in effect for a long time, yet most companies have not yet complied with the rules. Businesses that fail to properly get rid of their data can face huge penalties.
For instance the retention policies for emails are becoming more strict for businesses of any size. Electronic information is subject to long retention periods under states, federal, as well as local law. Certain businesses are required to keep emails for seven years and some for even longer. After this time, data should be removed properly.
2. Reputational Damage
Security breaches and data breach incidents have affected several of the biggest corporations across the globe. The damage to reputation can be immense. A breach of data can impact credibility of clients and in this day and age, information can be spread in a blaze of fire.
Your customers want to know that their personal data is protected. When they encounter such security breaches, they could be worried over the protection of the other information that they give to you, like financial information.
3. Financial Costs
Data breaches can be expensive for your company. If there is the investigation of a regulator agency or civil suit, your company could be slapped with fines. Also, you could be forced to shell out thousands as ransom to hackers.
Furthermore, the cost of storage of unnecessary data can be into the stratosphere of chaos. Eliminating unnecessary data will help you save money.
Best techniques for Data Destruction
Make a Plan
Create a timetable for when data needs to be removed. Data destruction must be performed in a consistent and predictable way. This can reduce the risk of human error and missed deadlines. If data has to be kept for a specified period of duration, i.e., six months, before being deleted, set the date for destruction to happen within six months.
Keep an inventory
You should maintain a complete inventory the hardware that contains data. Also, you must be able to keep track of all software that contains data (or an inventory of all software that contains data). If you don’t then there is an unfounded expectation that all data could be destroyed in one go. Based on your company’s requirements the situation could lead to delay or schedule problems.
You’ll need the right tools
You need the proper tools for destroying data. There are numerous tools and programs available to assist you in managing the destruction of data. Be sure you be using the correct tools to help you preserve the necessary data for the requirements of compliance. For instance, email archiving solutions can help manage retention and data discovery capabilities as well as eDiscovery tools and many other features that help you adhere to guidelines for data retention.
Assign Responsibilities
Assign data destruction responsibilities to appropriate personnel. This could include employees from the department of law, or higher management. Make sure you document precisely who is responsible for data destruction and also the process to complete it.
Maintain Documentation
Document the entire process of destroying data. If you do not keep the documentation you need it may be complicated (if it is not even possible) to verify that the data destruction process was completed.
Notify Everyone
Inform all (including the compliance personnel) who is involved in the process that data is being deleted. This will help to ensure eDiscovery demands aren’t submitted about deleted data.
Conclusion
Following the above best practices, the destruction of data will go without a hitch. Keep in mind that data destruction is only one part of the process of risk management. To to ensure compliance, we suggest seeking out legal counsel as well as an independent security specialist.
The destruction of data is a long and time-consuming process. It can be particularly challenging for small-sized businesses with minimal IT resources. However, it is vital for the growth of your business.
As of now, you must be able to comprehend the basics of the process of destroying data. It’s a process that is required by federal privacy laws however, it also offers economic benefits. The destruction of data is also the first step in safeguarding your company from cyber attacks.
Don’t forget, it’s time to start your destruction of data.
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