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Guidelines for the Destruction of Sensitive Data In Information Technology

Basic Types of Paper Shredders

 

SEM Model 1124

Deskside Paper Shredder

 

 

SEM Model 5140

Department Shredder

 

 

SEM Model 5146

High Volume Central

Shredding System

 

 

SEM Model 22

High Volume Disintegrator

For Bulk Item Destruction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With new regulations and more stringent enforcement, Data Centers are taking second a look at their document and data destruction needs. While paper shredders are common, ,many companies have the wrong products or too few of them to do the job adequetely.

 

Developing and implement a data security program, while a necessity is often a daunting task. The following information presents a basic overview of options to help begin the process.

 

Destruction equipment abounds The market offers a variety of record destruction equipment. Paper shredders come in all sizes, speeds, horsepowers and capacities, but there are three basic choices:

  • Personal - Desk-side shredders, available on casters for portability, can shred roughly six to 20 sheets at a time. This is convenient for offices with relatively few documents to destroy.
  • Departmental - Larger facilities with more documents to dispose of may install shredders that can handle 20-50 sheets at a time.
  • Centralized - A heavy-duty shredder can handle up to 400 sheets at a time and destroy bound reports and thick stacks of paper.

Once the proper catagory of shredder has been determined, the issue of security level needs to be addressed.

  • Strip-Cut Shredders create ribbons of paper. They provide the lowest level of security, but are often sufficient for less sensitive information.
  • Cross-Cut Shredders create a much smaller particle similar to confetti. They provide a higher lever of security and adequate for all but the most critical information.
  • Maximum Security Cross-Cut Shredders create a waste particle no larger than 1mm x 5mm and meet the requirements set forth by the National Security Agency for Top Secret Destruction.

Whatever shredder models you select, you will need protocols for handling documents prior to shredding and also managing shredded waste. Locking collection bins or Security Waste Containers are critical if documents are not going to be shredded in real-time. Several styles are available to blend with any office decor. Some companies offer regular pickup, transporting the trash to landfills or recycling facilities.

 

So that takes care of paper, but in the IT world most data resides on media other than paper. Measure must be taken to ensure the proper destruction of a wide variety of electronic media including magnetic media, optical media, flash media, jump drives etc.

 

Powerful disintegrators (mechanical incinerators) use rotary-knife systems to reduce high volumes of books, binders, paper bundles and other bulk materials to tiny particles. These versatile machines  pulverize CDs, DVDs, floppy discs, microfilm, credit cards, ID badges, tape cassettes, circuit boards, cell phones, PDAs, computer hard drives, laptops and even entire CPUs slicing them into indecipherable fragments at the rate of up to two tons per hour.

 

 

 

Other machines, designed specifically for optical media, completely remove databearing surfaces from CDs and DVDs. Because they leave inner disc hubs intact, the hubs serve as proof of destruction, eliminating the need for detailed logs and witnesses where certification of destruction is required.

 

Old computers can tell tales. Security may become an issue when a company donates old computers to a school or some other organization. Most people don't know that when a digital file is "deleted," the information actually remains on the computer's hard drive or a formatted diskette, as do deleted e-mail messages and records of online activity. This information is recoverable with sophisticated tools. Disk-wiping software can be somewhat effective in preventing unauthorized recovery by overwriting entire drives/disks - or particular sections of them - before these magnetic media are discarded or reused. When you require absolute certainty in erasing magnetic media, chose a Mag Erasure Degausser. These power devices use rare earth magnets to remove all recorded information from hard drives, floppy diskettes, computer backup tapes and a wide variety of other magnetic media. For the ultimate in magnetic media security many companies follow the standard set by the National Security Agency which requires degaussing followed by disintegration. This "belt and suspenders" approach is probably not necessary for most commercial institutions, however many companies find that the added "peace of mind" is worth the extra effort and expense.

 

For both electronic and paper records, the variety of equipment on the market today is staggering. That's why choosing an experienced partner is critical to the success of you data destruction plan. For nearly 40 years the Federal Government and US Military has partnered with SEM to protect national security interest. Let us put that experience to work for you.