Table Tag: destruction compliance

Beyond Compliance: Ensuring Data Integrity and Security in the Pharmaceutical Industry

August 14, 2024 at 8:00 am by Amanda Canale

When it comes to the pharmaceutical industry, there is no disputing the fact that they handle vast amounts of sensitive data; ranging from proprietary research and development information to personal health records and clinical trial results. 

As cyber threats grow increasingly sophisticated, protecting this sensitive information from unauthorized access and potential breaches is critical. The stakes are understandably high, as this data is not only the backbone of life-saving drugs and therapies but also a prime target for cybercriminals. 

Thankfully now in the digital age there is a diverse range of cybersecurity measures pharmaceutical companies can adopt: from cloud and network security to compliance regulations and maintaining a strict chain of custody. However, even with these measures in place, the threat of a breach can last long after a drive has reached the end of its lifecycle, which is why high security data decommissioning is another crucial aspect of proper cybersecurity. 

Dark blue digital technology background with glowing cardiogram

Importance of Compliance Regulations

Pharmaceutical companies operate in a highly regulated environment where compliance is critical. Regulatory bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), among others, have stringent guidelines concerning data management. These guidelines also include what constitutes as proper destruction, an aspect of data security that we argue is the most important. 

These guidelines are in place to prevent unauthorized access to confidential information, safeguard patient privacy, and to maintain the integrity of research data. If a pharmaceutical company fails to comply with these regulations, it can result in severe penalties, including hefty fines, legal action, damage to their reputation, and of course, adverse effects on the lives of their patients. 

Critical Compliance Regulations

Regulations like the FDA’s 21 CFR Part 11, which governs electronic records and electronic signatures, require that companies implement robust controls to ensure data integrity and security. Part 11 requires that any actions taken on electronic records, including their destruction, be recorded in an audit trail. This documentation provides validated proof that the records were destroyed in compliance with regulatory standards and that the process was carried out by authorized personnel, ensuring that patient signatures remain secure. This kind of documentation is called a chain of custody, which we will discuss in-depth later on in this blog. 

Similarly, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandates strict data protection measures. Pharmaceutical companies conducting medical trials in Europe are required to comply with GDPR regulations, including the mandate that patient data should never leave the clinical site and is only accessible by authorized personnel. 

For example, pharmaceutical companies must obtain explicit consent from their patients before collecting and processing their personal data. It also requires companies to implement strict security measures to protect data from unauthorized access or disclosure, including the secure disposal of personal data when it is no longer needed. Compliance with these regulations is not optional—it is a legal requirement that ensures the trust and safety of all stakeholders involved.  

One of the most prominent regulations is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA establishes national standards for protecting patient health information, requiring pharmaceutical companies to implement robust safeguards when handling, storing, and transmitting patient data. This includes ensuring that data is encrypted, access to information is restricted, and that there are protocols in place to detect and respond to potential data breaches. Companies must also provide patients with rights over their data, such as the ability to access and request corrections to their health information. 

Francesco Ferri, an OT security deployment and operations lead at GSK, a global biopharma company, told Industrial Cyber that, “a key factor that sets the pharmaceutical sector apart is that integrity takes priority over availability. Safety is always the main focus.”

We couldn’t agree more. After all, high-security data destruction equipment is essential for meeting these regulatory requirements.

Blue tinted photo of a stethoscope on top of an iPad with healthcare data

Criticality of High Security Data Destruction

Beyond compliance and the implementation of the most robust cybersecurity defenses, the need for high security data destruction measures is driven by the critical need for data security and patient privacy. The pharmaceutical industry is a lucrative target for cyberattacks due to the high value of the data it holds. From clinical trial results to proprietary formulas, the information stored by these companies is highly sought after by hackers and competitors. 

Traditional methods of data decommissioning, such as deleting or overwriting files, is not a sufficient form of destruction, especially now in an era where data recovery technologies have advanced significantly. Given the uptick in the storage capacity of hard drives, proper decommissioning is crucial in safeguarding sensitive information. High-security data destruction equipment ensures that data is irretrievably destroyed, leaving no possibility for reconstruction. 

Without proper destruction protocols, sensitive information can be retrieved, leading to breaches that could compromise patient safety, intellectual property, and an advantage for competitors. A breach of this data, in any capacity, could have catastrophic consequences, including the theft of intellectual property, which could cost billions in lost revenue, or the manipulation of research data, potentially leading to unsafe products reaching the market. 

Even though the pharmaceutical industry is worth over a trillion dollars, the average cost of a data breach is approximately $4.88 million, which can still gravely affect the average pharmaceutical company.

Chain of Custody’s Role in Data Security

It would be irresponsible of us to discuss proper compliance regulations and the criticality of high security data destruction in-depth without talking about the vital importance of creating and maintaining a chain of custody.

A chain of custody is strictly detailed documentation of the data’s handling, movement, access, and activity throughout its lifecycle. This type of documentation, which should only ever be handled by authorized personnel, is crucial not only for compliance and auditing purposes, but also in ensuring that the data has been securely destroyed once it reaches end-of-life. A chain of custody and secure data decommissioning procedure should always go hand-in-hand.

Shredded HDDs on a conveyor belt, the image is high contrast and dark

Conclusion

A robust cybersecurity system, compliance with regulatory mandates, a documented chain of custody, and a high security data decommissioning process combine to create a comprehensive framework for safeguarding sensitive information, ensuring data integrity, and mitigating risks throughout the entire data lifecycle. In doing so, pharmaceutical companies can reinforce the trust that stakeholders, including patients, partners, and regulators, place in their hands. 

Protecting this information through proper data destruction and cybersecurity practices are not just regulatory obligations but moral ones, as well. It shows a commitment to safeguarding the dignity and privacy of individuals who rely on pharmaceutical companies to act responsibly. Our very lives depend on it.

 

The Six Layers of SaaS Security

June 6, 2024 at 8:00 am by Amanda Canale

When it comes to Software as a Service (SaaS), security is paramount. The architecture of SaaS applications involves multiple layers, each requiring its own set of security measures. Understanding these layers and how they interconnect helps build a robust defense system.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, as the cybersecurity landscape is constantly changing to mitigate the ever-evolving risks that come with storing sensitive information. This is simply a general overview of just some of the various aspects of SaaS cybersecurity that, when in combination with other methodologies such as SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM), can provide applications with the security they critically need.

Layer 1: Cloud Security

The very foundation of SaaS security starts with the cloud. As the first line of defense, if the cloud is compromised, then the following security layers are subject to failure as well. It’s this key aspect that makes having proper cloud security measures in place so critical.

One aspect that some don’t often think about when picturing cloud security is the physical security of the data center. Physical barriers, surveillance and monitoring, access controls and visitor management, environmental controls, and in-house data decommissioning are all aspects of data center physical security that play a role in protecting these fortresses that safeguard the provider’s priceless assets.

Another crucial aspect of cloud security is adhering to compliance regulations. Since SaaS providers handle such high volumes of sensitive information, complying with the proper mandates and regulations allows them to avoid legal and financial consequences and mitigate risks while safeguarding both the data they’re storing and their reputation.

These are just two essential security measures that play a role in cloud security; other methods include data encryption, regular security audits, and a slew of others.

Layer 2: Network Security

Network security is the next critical layer, protecting the communication channels between users and the SaaS application, as well as between the different components within the cloud infrastructure. At its core, network security acts as the traffic cop between all communication channels. Firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, secure VPNs, and encryption protocols are just a few key measures that can, essentially, prevent a traffic jam.

Another key method for providers to prevent a jam is by limiting access to untrusted sources and adopting a zero-trust model. The zero trust model is based on the assumption that the call is coming from both inside and outside of the house, meaning no entity should be trusted by default. Adopting this mentality and methodology requires providers to continuously verify user identities and device compliance, for example, through multi-factor authentication, before granting access to their resources, significantly enhancing security.

Other key network monitoring tools can help providers collect and analyze their network’s performance data to find any anomalies or suspicious activity, all in real-time. The further we go into the digital age, the more machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly being used to enhance these kinds of detections.

By being able to swiftly detect and address these traffic jams and anomalies, providers can mitigate the impact of potential threats and maintain the integrity of their network.

Layer 3: Server Security

Servers host not only the SaaS applications but the sensitive data of their users as well, making them pivotal to the overall security architecture.

Securing servers can include, but is not limited to:

  • Hardening the operating systems by disabling any unnecessary services and ports, ultimately reducing the surface area and entry points for attacks;
  • Limiting access for both users and processes alike so they only have as much access as needed to complete their function; and
  • Utilizing patch management software that keeps the server’s software and applications up-to-date for optimal streamlining reduces the risk of human error.

Additionally, adopting other security measures such as anti-virus software, intrusion detection systems, and secure configurations can also enhance the protection of servers from both external and internal threats.

Layer 4: User Access Security

Throughout this article, we’ve touched upon how controlling who can access the SaaS application, its infrastructure and components, as well as the collected data, is crucial to maintaining security. User access security involves implementing robust authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), and managing user privileges through role-based access controls (RBAC).

By regularly reviewing and updating user permissions, providers can ensure that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive data and functions. In tandem with stringent asset controls comes properly training these privileged roles about security best practices and potential threats to further enhance overall security.

Layer 5: Application Security

The application layer focuses on securing the SaaS software itself. At this layer lie the more intricate risks, often in the form of coding errors both internally and in any third-party components that may be used. Application security can include adopting secure coding practices, such as:

  • Input validation ensures that all inputs are validated and sanitized to prevent attacks and that only properly formatted data is being processed.
  • Output encoding mitigates cross-site script (XXS) attacks by converting data into a secure format that then prevents the browser from interpreting user-supplied data as part of the web page’s code. In layman’s terms, it prevents any interference with the web page’s intended functionality and/or appearance.
  • Error handling mechanisms can be used to prevent any sensitive information from being released through error messages. It allows providers to create custom error pages and log errors securely without being exposed, and more.

Again, these are just a few measures providers can take to ensure application security and maintain the integrity of their service.

Layer 6: Data Security

At the heart of SaaS security is the protection of data. That’s why we’re here! Data security is all about ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data stored and processed by the SaaS application. Data security measures can encompass a lot of varying methods and methodologies, from all of what we’ve discussed so far in this article to encryption and backup recovery, data auditing and masking, compliance, and so much more.

To put it succinctly, data security is not a one-size-fits-all solution, nor is there a one-stop-shop for ensuring it. Data security is truly a multifaceted discipline that requires a robust approach, quite literally meaning all hands on deck.

However, there is one vital measure of data security that should always be a key ingredient in whatever security cocktail a SaaS provider concocts: creating and maintaining both a chain of custody and secure data decommissioning procedures.

A chain of custody is a detailed, documented trail of the data’s handling, movement, access, and activity throughout its lifetime that should only ever be managed by authorized personnel.

A secure data decommissioning procedure goes hand-in-hand with a chain of custody, as it is the data’s last stop and the documentation’s last box to check. The criticality of a secure data decommissioning procedure for safeguarding sensitive information cannot be overstated. When SaaS applications reach end-of-life or are moved to alternative locations, organizations must ensure that data is properly disposed of in accordance with industry regulations and best practices to ensure the data is effectively destroyed.

The Hidden Layer: Human Security

The human layer is an essential layer of SaaS security, but unfortunately, it is often overlooked. This layer recognizes that the people handling the data and equipment can be both its greatest asset and its weakest link. This layer encompasses robust security awareness training, a well-documented and maintained chain of custody, fostering a culture of security, and implementing policies that help guide secure behavior.

Routine training programs help educate employees on identifying phishing attempts, using strong passwords, and following best practices for data protection. Encouraging a security-first mindset helps create an environment where employees are vigilant and proactive about security.

By acknowledging and addressing the human layer, SaaS providers can significantly reduce the risk of insider threats and human errors, thereby strengthening the overall security posture of their applications.

Conclusion

In summary, SaaS security is not a one-stop-shop. There is no sure-fire, quick fix to ensuring the integrity of the provider and their efforts, but rather a comprehensive, robust, almost mix-and-match sort of approach that addresses each of these layers and puts data security at the forefront.

These measures not only protect the data itself but also build trust with users and comply with regulatory requirements. By implementing robust security measures at the cloud, network, server, user access, application, data, and human levels, SaaS providers can build resilient defenses against threats and ensure the protection of their SaaS environments.

Navigating SaaS Cybersecurity with SSPM

May 21, 2024 at 8:30 am by Amanda Canale

Securing Software as a Service (SaaS) security is of paramount criticality in today’s digital age where the threat of data breaches and cyber threats consistently linger over us like storm clouds. Thankfully, there’s a way to protect the sensitive information they store. 

SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) is a security maintenance methodology designed to detect cybersecurity threats. It does so by continuously evaluating user activity monitoring, compliance assurance, and security configuration audits to ensure the safety and integrity of the sensitive information stored in cloud-based applications.

SSPMs play a crucial role in SaaS cybersecurity as the early threat detection they provide can make way for swift and effective action. And as the number of SaaS providers continue to rise, it’s become even more critical for them to be able to successfully navigate the complicated maze of data security best practices, such as decentralized storage, ironclad passwords, encryption both in life and end-of-life, robust employee training, a chain of custody, and a secure data decommissioning process.

In this blog, we’ll delve into some of the best practices for SSPM that organizations should adopt to safeguard their data effectively.

Decentralized Storage: Data Backup in Multiple Locations

From the personal information stored on our smartphones and computers to our home gaming systems, we all know the importance of backing up our data. The same level of care needs to be taken for SaaS applications, and backing up data to multiple locations is a fundamental aspect of data security. 

Data loss can be catastrophic for any organization. While cloud platforms typically offer robust infrastructure and redundancy measures, relying only on a single data center can leave organizations incredibly vulnerable to catastrophic data loss by way of major outages, man-made and natural disasters, or unauthorized access. Storing data in decentralized locations allows SaaS applications to enhance their redundancy and resilience against data loss because it eliminates single points of failure that are common with centralized storage systems. Decentralized data storage is also often incorporated with encryption and consensus mechanisms to further thwart unauthorized access. 

Compulsory Strong Passwords

Compulsory strong passwords are another essential component of SSPM. Weak or easily guessable passwords are low-hanging fruit for cybercriminals seeking unauthorized access to SaaS accounts. Implementing policies that mandate the use of complex passwords containing a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters can significantly enhance security posture and thwart brute-force attacks.

In addition, regular password updates and the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) can add extra layers of security, making it exponentially harder for cybercriminals to breach your systems.

Encryption

Encryption is like a protective shield for sensitive data, scrambling the drive’s data into ciphertext, making it completely unreadable to unauthorized users, both during the drive’s life and in end-of-life. Typically, the authorized user needs to use a specific algorithm and encryption key to decipher the data. 

Implementing strong encryption protocols not only help SaaS applications meet critical compliance regulations but also foster trust among their customers and stakeholders that their data is being protected.  

After all, the assumption is that if you can’t read what’s on the drive, what good is it, right? Not quite.

Encryption is not a complete failsafe as decryption keys can be compromised or accessible in other ways and hacking technology is at an all-time high level of sophistication, so it’s vital to your data security to have a proper chain of custody and data decommissioning procedure in place to securely destroy any end-of-life drives, encrypted or not. We’ll talk about that more in a bit. 

However, even with this fallback, encryption is still a vital tool that should be combined with other best practices to secure the sensitive information being stored and collected.

Robust Employee Training 

Robust employee training is another indispensable tool for strengthening SaaS security. Human error and negligence are among the leading causes of data breaches and security incidents. As with any new skill or job, proper training provides people with structured guidance and knowledge to better understand the task at hand and ensures that learners are receiving up-to-date information and best practices. By fostering a culture of security awareness and providing comprehensive training, SaaS applications can empower their employees to recognize and mitigate potential threats proactively. 

Robust training makes it crucial for organizations to properly educate employees about cybersecurity best practices and the importance of adhering to established security policies and procedures, like a chain of custody.

Chain of Custody and Data Decommissioning Procedure

Last, but certainly not least, there’s creating and maintaining both a chain of custody and secure data decommissioning procedure. 

For context, a chain of custody is a detailed documented trail of the data’s handling, movement, access, and activity, from within the facility and throughout their lifecycle. A strong chain of custody guarantees that data is exclusively managed by authorized personnel. With this level of transparency, SaaS applications can significantly minimize the risk of unauthorized access or tampering and further enhance their overall data security. Not to mention ensuring compliance with regulations and preserving data integrity.

Part of that chain of custody also includes documenting what happens to the data once it reaches end-of-life. 

A secure data decommissioning procedure is essential for safeguarding sensitive information throughout its lifecycle. When retiring SaaS applications or migrating to alternative solutions, organizations must ensure that data is properly disposed of in accordance with industry regulations and best practices. 

While creating and maintaining both a chain of custody and decommissioning process, there is also a strong emphasis on conducting the decommissioning in-house. In-house data decommissioning, or destruction, is exactly what it sounds like: destroying your end-of-life data under the same roof you store it. Documenting the in-house decommissioning mitigates the potential for data breaches and leaks and is essential in verifying that all necessary procedures have been followed in accordance with compliance regulations, industry best practices, and provides you the assurance that the data is destroyed.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, when it comes to securing the personal and sensitive information you collect and store as a SaaS provider, the significance of complying with SSPM best practices cannot be overstated. By backing up data to multiple locations, enforcing strong password policies, leveraging encryption, providing comprehensive employee training, and implementing secure chain of custody and in-house data decommissioning procedures, SaaS providers can enhance their data security and protect against a wide range of threats and vulnerabilities.

Regulatory Compliance and Data Protection: A Guide for SaaS Providers

May 1, 2024 at 8:15 am by Amanda Canale

The digital world we’re currently living in is constantly evolving; there’s no denying it. As new technologies and applications come with new vulnerabilities and threats, regulatory compliance and data protection stand as two crucial principles guiding these advancements and industries forward, including software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.

As SaaS providers navigate through the complicated maze of compliance regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), ensuring complete compliance with these standards becomes of vital importance.

At the heart of regulatory compliance and data protection lie a slew of essential security measures, ranging from data encryption and access controls to regular security audits, incident response planning, and, most importantly, data decommissioning processes. Whether it’s physical security, cybersecurity, or other methods and measures, it is crucial that the two always go hand-in-hand.

Essential Security Measures and Methods

Data Encryption

Data encryption stands as an essential tool, not just for SaaS providers but for any organization or company handling sensitive information. By converting the information into an encrypted format, SaaS providers (and their customers) can rest assured knowing that even in the off chance the data is compromised, it will remain indecipherable to unauthorized accessors. This encryption process requires complex algorithms to essentially scramble the data into ciphertext, which can only be decrypted with the corresponding decryption key, which is typically held by authorized users (think like a treasure chest that can only be opened by a one-of-a-kind, magical key).

Implementing robust encryption protocols not only helps SaaS providers comply with regulatory mandates but also instills confidence and trust among customers regarding the security of their data. With data encryption in place, SaaS providers can begin to mitigate the risk of potential thefts, maintain confidentiality, and uphold the integrity of their systems and services.

Access Controls

The next crucial cybersecurity reinforcement are access controls that restrict data access to only those with permission and clearance.

Access controls serve as a critical layer of defense for SaaS providers, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data and resources. Key cards, PINs, biometric authentication, multi-factor authentication, and other secure methods all play a role in verifying the identity of those seeking entry. By restricting access to data and functionalities to only those with specific roles or privileges, access controls help prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and insider threats.

Additionally, access controls play a heavy role when adhering to compliance regulations and mandates, ensuring that data is accessed and handled while aligning with their corresponding privacy and security standards.

Regular Security Audits

Regular security audits are just one phenomenal proactive risk management tool for identifying vulnerabilities while adhering to compliance standards. Scheduled assessments of systems, processes, and controls give SaaS providers the power to identify any potential or existing vulnerabilities, assess the effectiveness of their already existing security measures, and mitigate them. These audits not only help to detect and address security weaknesses but also showcase a transparent commitment to maintaining robust security practices, something partners, customers, and investors are looking for when it comes to their sensitive information.

Incident Response Planning

Another effective proactive tool for optimal SaaS cybersecurity is implementing a stringent incident response plan. An incident response plan is an indispensable tool for not just SaaS providers but everyone, as it outlines clear protocols for incident detection, proper communication channels for reporting and escalation, and predefined roles and responsibilities for all of their key stakeholders.

Incident response planning can also include regular drills and simulations to test the plan’s efficiency and effectiveness while also ensuring that all personnel are ready to handle whatever security incident is thrown their way. (We do fire drills for a reason, so why not do them when it comes to our own data?) By prioritizing incident response planning, SaaS providers can minimize the potential damage of security breaches, preserve data integrity, and uphold customer trust in their ability to safeguard sensitive information.

In-House Data Decommissioning Processes

The last and most crucial step of any data lifecycle management strategy is a high-security data decommissioning process, preferably in-house. We all know this. Otherwise known as data destruction, proper data decommissioning is the process of securely and responsibly disposing of any data considered “end-of-life.” Data decommissioning should be applied to any device that can store data, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), paper, optical media, eMedia, solid-state drives (SSDs), and more.

When data is properly managed and disposed of, organizations can better enforce data retention policies. This, in turn, leads to improved data governance and gravely reduces the risk of unauthorized or illegal access. As critical as data decommissioning is, having it done in-house provides an added layer of security when ensuring that all sensitive data is disposed of properly. Additionally, it assists companies in adhering to data protection laws like GDPR and HIPAA, which frequently call for strict, safe data disposal procedures.

Compliance Regulations

As SaaS providers handle vast amounts of sensitive data, ensuring compliance with regulations is crucial, but compliance regulations are not a one-size-fits-all fit. Each regulation brings its own set of requirements, implications, and parameters, along with its own list of consequences and fines.

To keep it brief, here is just a small list of compliance regulations SaaS providers should be in accordance with.

Financial Compliance
  • ASC 606: ASC 606 is a security framework that was developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). It’s a five-step process that allows businesses and organizations to accurately and transparently reflect the timing and amount of revenue that is earned.
  • Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP): GAAP, also developed by FASB, is a collection of accounting rules and best practices that U.S. law mandates when it comes to releasing public financial statements, such as those traded on the stock exchange.
  • International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): IFRS is a set of global accounting guidelines that apply to a public corporation’s financial statements in order to show transparency, consistency, and international comparison.
Security Compliance
  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO/IEC 27001): ISO/IEC 27001 is an internationally recognized standard for information security management systems and provides a framework for identifying, analyzing, and mitigating security risks.
  • Service Organization Control (SOC 2): SOC 2 was developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) to be a compliance standard that defines the criteria for managing customer information within service organizations.
  • Payment Card Industry and Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): PCI DSS is a set of security protocols that must be adhered to by any company that handles payment processes, such as accepting, transferring, or storing card financial data.
Data Security and Compliance
  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): GDPR is a personal data protection law that requires stringent data protection standards for businesses and organizations that handle personal data of EU citizens, regardless of where the business operates from. With GDPR, EU residents are able to view, erase, and export their data, and even object to the processing of their information.
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): HIPAA is an American federal law that protects sensitive patient health information (PHI) from being shared without their consent.
  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): CCPA is essentially like GDPR but for California residents, granting them greater control over their personal information and necessitating transparent data collection practices and opt-out mechanisms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, for SaaS providers, regulatory compliance and data protection represent not just legal obligations but also opportunities to foster customer trust and optimize their data security measures. By implementing essential security measures, adhering to regulatory frameworks, and embracing a culture of continuous improvement, SaaS providers can navigate the regulatory landscape with confidence, safeguarding both data and reputation in an increasingly digitized world.

At SEM, we have a wide array of high-security data destruction solutions that are specifically designed to meet any volume and compliance regulations, whether in the financial, healthcare, payment card, or other industries. In a time when the digital space has the power to influence the course of multiple industries, implementing essential security methods along with a decommissioning plan are crucial tools that determine an industry’s robustness, legitimacy, and identity.

Data Centers and NIST Compliance: Why 800-53 is Just the Start

August 22, 2023 at 4:42 pm by Amanda Canale

The world of data storage has been exponentially growing for the past several years and shows no signs of slowing down. From paper to floppy disks, HDDs to SSDs, and large servers to cloud-based infrastructures, the way we store data has become increasingly intricate using the latest and greatest major technological advancements. 

As the way we store our data continues to evolve, it’s becoming increasingly vital for data centers, federal agencies, and organizations alike to implement proper and secure data cybersecurity and information security practices, and appropriate procedures for secure data sanitization and destruction. Data center compliance is essential for various reasons, primarily centered around ensuring the security, integrity, and reliability of their data and systems. By complying with industry standards and regulations, data centers can safeguard sensitive data and ensure that proper security measures are in place to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyberattacks – both while data storage devices are in use and when they reach end-of-life. 

In summary, data center compliance falls under both cybersecurity and physical security best practices, and secure data sanitization and destruction. For a data center to operate at optimal performance and security, one cannot be without the other.

When discussing data center compliance, it’s important to not leave out an important player: the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST is one of the most widely recognized and adopted cybersecurity frameworks, is the industry’s most comprehensive and in-depth set of framework controls, and is a non-regulatory federal agency. NIST’s mission is to educate citizens on information system security for all applications outside of national security, including industry, government, academia, and healthcare on both a national and global scale. 

Their strict and robust standards and guidelines are widely recognized and adopted by both data centers and government entities alike seeking to improve their processes, quality, and security. 

In today’s blog, I want to dive into the two most important NIST publications data centers should consistently reference and implement into their security practices: NIST 800-88 and NIST 800-53. Both standardizations help create consistency across the industry, allowing data centers to communicate and collaborate with, and more effectively protect partners, clients, and regulatory bodies. Again: cybersecurity and destruction best practices go hand-in-hand, and should be implemented as a pair in order for a data center to operate compliantly. 

Step 1: Data Center Security and Privacy Framework

NIST 800-53

NIST 800-53 provides guidelines and recommendations for selecting and specifying security and privacy controls for federal information systems and organizations. While NIST 800-53 is primarily utilized by federal agencies, its principles and controls are widely recognized and adopted as a critical resource for information security and privacy management, not only by federal agencies but also by private sector organizations, international entities, and more importantly, data centers. 

NIST 800-53 serves as a comprehensive catalog of security and privacy controls that data centers can use to design, implement, and assess the security posture of their IT systems and infrastructure, all of which are crucial in sustaining a data center. The controls are related to data protection, encryption, data retention, and data disposal, and serve as a valuable resource for data centers looking to establish intricate and well-rounded cybersecurity and information security programs. 

NIST 800-53 addresses various aspects of information security, such as access control, incident response, system and communications protection, security assessment, and more. Each control is paired with specific guidelines and implementation details. These security controls, of which there are over a thousand, are further categorized into twenty “control families” based on their common objectives. (For example, access control controls are grouped together, as are incident response controls, and so forth.) These control families cover various aspects of security, including access control, network security, system monitoring, incident response, and more, offering data centers much higher rates of uptime and ability to minimize downtime.

Since data centers often handle sensitive and valuable information, they require robust physical security measures to prevent breaches and unauthorized access. NIST 800-53 addresses physical security controls, including access controls, video surveillance, intrusion detection systems, and environmental monitoring, which are vital in protecting the data center’s infrastructure.

It’s important to mention that while NIST 800-53 provides an increasingly valuable foundation for securing data center operations, organizations may need to tailor the controls to their specific environments, risk profiles, and compliance requirements. NIST 800-53 offers a flexible framework that allows for customization to suit the unique needs of different data center operators, making it a vital and critical resource.

Step 2: Data Destruction Compliance 

NIST 800-88

First published in 2006, NIST 800-88 and its Guidelines for Media Sanitization provides guidance and regulations on how citizens can conduct the secure and proper sanitization and/or destruction of media containing sensitive, classified, and top secret information. NIST 800-88 covers various types of media, including hard drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), magnetic tapes, optical media, and other media storage devices. NIST 800-88 has quickly become the utmost standard for the U.S. Government and has been continuously referenced in federal data privacy laws. More so, NIST 800-88 regulations have been increasingly adopted by private companies and organizations, especially data centers. The main objective is to help data centers and organizations establish proper procedures for sanitizing media before its disposal at end-of-life.

When a data center facility or section is being decommissioned, equipment such as servers, storage devices, and networking gear must be properly sanitized and disposed of. NIST 800-88’s guidelines help data center operators develop procedures to securely handle the removal and disposal of equipment without risking future data breaches 

When it comes to sanitizing media, NIST 800-88 offers three key methods:

  1. Clearing: The act of overwriting media with non-sensitive data to prevent data recovery.
  2. Purging: A more thorough and comprehensive method that will render the stored data unrecoverable using advanced technology, such as cryptographic erasure and block erasing.
  3. Destruction: The physical destruction of a storage device either by way of shredding, crushing, disintegrating, or incineration. This often includes electromagnetic degaussing, a method that produces a buildup of electrical energy to create a magnetic field that scrambles and breaks the drive’s binary code, rendering it completely inoperable. The strength of the degausser is critical when eliminating sensitive information from magnetic media. Typically, degaussers evaluated and listed by the National Security Agency (NSA) are considered the golden standard. 

However, even these methods can come with their own drawbacks. For instance: 

  1. Clearing: For sensitive, classified, or top secret information, clearing or overwriting should never serve as the sole destruction method. Overwriting is only applicable to HDDs, not SSDs or Flash, and does not fully remove the information from the drive. 
  2. Purging: Unfortunately, purging methods are highly prone to human error and are a very time-consuming process.
  3. Destruction: Once the drive has been destroyed, it cannot be reused or repurposed. However, this method provides the assurance and security that the data is fully unrecoverable, the process can take mere seconds, and there is no room for human error.

The chosen destruction and/or sanitization method depends on the sensitivity of the information on the media and the level of protection required, so it is crucial that data centers and organizations take into account the classification of information and media type, as well as the risk to confidentiality. NIST 800-88 provides valuable guidance on media sanitization practices, which are crucial for data centers to ensure the secure disposal of data-filled devices while minimizing the risk of data breaches. Proper implementation of NIST guidelines allows data center officials to protect sensitive information and maintain data security throughout the lifecycle of data center equipment.

The Importance of Verification 

NIST guidelines, specifically NIST 800-88, have become the industry standard when it comes to secure data sanitization; however, they are not as definitive as other regulatory compliances. With NIST, the responsibility of data sanitization falls onto data centers’ or an agency’s chief information officers, system security managers, and other related staff.

As discussed above, the destruction and/or sanitization method depends on the sensitivity of the information on the media and the level of protection required, so it is critical to the security of the end-of-life data that organizations discuss the matters of security categorization, media chain of custody including internal and external considerations, and the risk to confidentiality.

Regardless of the method chosen, verification is the next critical step in the destruction and sanitization process. NIST verification typically refers to the process of validating or verifying compliance with standards, guidelines, or protocols established by the data center and/or organization. By NIST 800-88 standards, verification is the process of testing the end-of-life media to see if the stored information is accessible. 

For sanitization equipment to be verified, it must be subjected to testing and certification, such as the NSA evaluation and listing, and must abide by a strict maintenance schedule. For proper sanitization, the device must be verified through a third party testing should the media be reused. However, when media is destroyed, no such verification is necessary, as the pulverized material itself is verification enough. 

Since third party testing can be impractical, time consuming, and a gateway to data breaches, we at SEM always push for the in-house sanitization and destruction of media as the only choice to ensure full sanitization of data and the only way to mitigate future risks. When destroying data in-house, companies can be positive that the data is successfully destroyed. 

Conclusion

When it comes to data center compliance and security, there is no one-stop-shop. Adhering to both NIST 800-88 and 800-53 guidelines enhances the reputation of data centers by demonstrating a commitment to data security and privacy. This can help build trust with clients, customers, and stakeholders, leading to stronger business relationships. More importantly, these guidelines are necessary when collecting, storing, using, or destroying certain data. NIST provides educational resources, training materials, and documentation that help data center staff understand security concepts and best practices, empowering data center personnel to implement effective security measures.

At SEM, we have a wide range of NSA listed and noted solutions and CUI/NIST 800-88 compliant devices designed for you to securely destroy sensitive information. After all, the consequences of improper data destruction are endless and there is no statute of limitations on data breaches. No matter what the industry, purchasing in-house, end-of-life data destruction equipment is well worth the investment. Need us to craft a custom solution for your data center? You can find out more here.