Why Data Destruction is an Integral Part of Data Management

Data destruction has become an integral practice inefficient management of data.

Data is a valuable asset to any business. Protecting it from harm and ensuring that data remains private is of the utmost importance. Data must be stored, protected, and disposed of appropriately. Data breaches and data theft are some of the biggest threats that your business faces today.

Data destruction procedures are absolutely essential in ensuring that your data is always safe and protected. It's the process of destroying data that is no longer needed. It ensures that data remains private and that your business does not face any data breaches or compliance issues.

There are many benefits to data destruction, but one of the biggest benefits is that it reduces your overall risk exposure. However, data destruction is also incredibly time-consuming and tedious. It requires lots of management and supervision.

In this article, we'll cover some of the main reasons why you should destroy data and how to do it the right way.

Why you should destroy data

1. Legal Compliance

Data destruction is a legal requirement for businesses in certain industries. Digital data retention policies have been in place for years, but a majority of companies are still failing to comply with them. Companies that do not properly dispose of their data are subject to hefty fines.

For example, email retention policies have gotten stricter for businesses of all sizes. Electronic data is subject to lengthy retention periods for federal, state, and local laws. Some businesses have to store email for seven years, and some even longer. After that period passes data should be properly deleted.

2. Reputational Damage

Data breach scandals have hit some of the largest corporations in the world. The reputational damage can be huge. A data breach can seriously damage the trust of your customers, and in the digital age, information can spread like wildfire.

Your customers expect that their personal information is safe. In the face of such breaches, they may become concerned about the security of other information that they entrust to you, such as financial data.

3. Financial Costs

A data breach is costly to your business. In the event of an investigation by a regulatory body or a civil lawsuit, your business could be hit with penalties. You could also be forced to pay thousands of dollars in ransom to a hacker.

Moreover, storage costs for storing unnecessary data can spiral out of control. Deleting unnecessary data can therefore save you money.

Best practices for Data Destruction

Make a Schedule 

Make a schedule for when data should be deleted. Data destruction should take place in a regular and predictable manner. This will reduce the chances of human error or missed deadlines. If some data must be retained for a set period of time, i.e., six months, and then destroyed, schedule data destruction to occur after six months.

Have an Inventory 

You must have a complete inventory of all hardware containing data. You must also have a complete inventory of all software containing data (or a list of all software containing data). If you do not, there will be an unrealistic expectation that everything can be destroyed at once. Depending on your company's needs, this may cause bottlenecks or scheduling nightmares.

Have the Right Tools 

You must have the right tools for data destruction. There are many tools and software available to help you manage data destruction. Also, make sure to have the right tools that will help you retain necessary data to meet compliance. For example, email archiving solutions provide retention management, data discovery features, eDiscovery solutions, and other capabilities that make it easier to comply with data retention policies.

Assign Responsibility

Assign data destruction responsibilities to appropriate personnel. This might include members of the legal department or senior management. Be sure to document exactly who will be responsible for data destruction, as well as the process for completing it.

Keep Documentation

Keep documentation of all data destruction activities. If you do not have your documentation handy, it could be very difficult (if not impossible) to prove that data destruction has been completed.

Notify Everyone 

Notify everyone (including compliance staff) involved that data is being destroyed. This can help ensure that eDiscovery requests are not made regarding deleted data.

Conclusion 

After following the above best practices, data destruction should go smoothly. Remember that data destruction is just one step in the risk management process. To help ensure compliance, we recommend consulting legal counsel and a third-party security specialist.

Data destruction is a tedious and laborious process. It can be especially difficult for small businesses with limited IT resources. However, it is essential to the success of your business.

At this point, you should have a basic understanding of data destruction. It is a process that is mandated by federal privacy regulations, but it also has financial benefits. Data destruction is also the first step to protecting your business from cyber-attacks. 

Remember, it's not too late to begin your data destruction process.