In part 1, we considered the growing demands on companies to delete data, whether individual files or entire devices. This month we review best practices for eliminating that data.
Not surprisingly, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is the leading authority. According to NIST’s widely adopted Guidelines for Media Sanitization, also known as Special Publication 800-88 Rev. 1, data sanitization requirements primarily depend upon two factors: the type of media upon which the data resides and the sensitivity of the data itself.