5 Common Data Sanitization Myths – You Didn’t Know
Summary: In this blog post, we are going to cover 5 common data sanitization myths which you believe are safe but it’s not. By following these you are putting your data from these at high risk without knowing the actual reason. So, it needs to be taken care of as data plays an important role for the users because it contains sensitive data which one needs to protect and stay hidden. Now, in the section below we will reveal the real truth behind all these data sanitization myths.
Myth 1: Formatting Erases Data Permanently
Fact: No, Formatting does not erase your data beyond recovery and leaves data traces behind.
Many people believe that just by doing normal formatting to your drive will permanently erase all data, but this is a myth. In reality, formatting only removes your file system structure and not more than that. It majorly does that your data is not visible to the OS but using advanced recovery tools, you can recover it any time you want. As, a quick format does not do anything other than showing the storage area as available. On the other hand, full format checks for bad sectors but will not wipe data securely.
To completely remove your data in this regard, you can use secure wiping methods such as overwriting, or use our professional tool SysTools Data Destruction Software. Also, if you are looking to focus majorly on security, then you can also consider tools that comply with such standards like IEEE 2883 which take care of data sanitization.
Myth 2: Normal File Deletion is Enough
Fact: Not enough, Normal deletion will leave traces behind which makes data recovery possible.
There is a strong belief that one can delete files normally which means for them it will disappear for all time. But, actually it will transfer files to the Recycle Bin and empty it, or you can simply use the Shift + Del button to do so. If you even clear it from the Recycle Bin panel, then also the files will remain on your system. So, it can be easily recovered using any file recovery software. Thus, it can be easily recovered via any file recovery software. It is happening so due to the Data Remanence problem since it deletes only file system visibility but not the actual data that remains on the media unless overwritten by someone.
Myth 3: Degaussing Work For All Drives
Fact: Degaussing only works for HDD, and cannot destroy data from SSD.
Degaussing is a process for destroying data in a physical way using a magnetic field which takes data into an unrecoverable state. It is the effective way to destroy the data, but it is not a universal solution for all other devices.
It affects only magnetic storage devices like HDDs and is difficult with the permanent removal of solid-state drive data (SSD). As, degaussing does not affect SSDs since their data is not stored magnetically. Instead, they work on flash memory chips. It does not work for optical storage devices.
Myth 4: Physical Destruction Destroys the Data
Fact: It does not guarantee data protection from forensic recovery techniques.
If an organization has got a hard drive that is no longer of use. Then, to move forward you will search on the web and that tells you that there are basically two ways of dealing with it. One is wiping it off with software or secondly destroying it physically. In this scenario, both methods could be effective. But it does not mean that physical destruction is the best option to opt for. By applying hammer on the drive can leave some portion of storage media such as platter which can lead to creating opportunities for forensic recovery tools.
Myth 5: Data Wiping Tool are Costly
Fact: No, data wipe tools are available at a number of different price points-from free to affordable-can be used by individuals.
Many organizations tend to think that securely wiping their sensitive information is not worth the investment option. It is true that good data-wiping solutions will be available in the form of paid ones. However, the cost of software and additional support is still less in comparison to the risk of not having reliable data sanitization measures.
Like if an organization does not securely wipe their sensitive information from its disks, then there is a possibility of a data breach. For which they have to pay enormous fines to comply with regulations like GDPR.
Winding Up
I hope you have got the clarity about these 5 common data sanitization myths. So, simply formatting your drives, doing normal deletion, or physically damaging your hard disk does not assure data security. So, read this blog throughout to know the real facts about these myths. By this, you can take the proper steps to protect your confidential data from unknown recovery.