Secure Data Sanitisation (SDS) is the official term given to the process of deliberately, permanently and irreversibly destroying or removing data stored on a media bearing device, in order to make it unrecoverable.
Devices that have been sanitised have no usable residual data and can never be recovered. Typically, this refers to hardware and devices that have been used to store, manage and process data. For companies operating in the channel, it is paramount that customer data remains protected at all times. Steps must be taken to ensure that all data is disposed of responsibly as part of their service, and there are significant consequences should they fail to do so.
In 2018, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) introduced the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), designed to ‘harmonise’ data privacy laws across Europe, enhancing protection to individuals as a result. The introduction of GDPR has placed a huge amount of focus on data, and businesses are more conscious than ever that they not only need to maintain good data practices but have to be able to prove that they are meeting their minimum legal requirements when it comes to data protection.
Off the back of this, SDS has quickly become extremely important to businesses, who are obliged to manage and protect their data far more stringently now.
Mistakes Are Costly
GDPR has already proven its might. Back in January, Google was hit with a massive £44m fine for “lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding ads personalisation”, and while the fine didn’t directly relate to SDS, it is still an incredibly important aspect of GDPR, and it’s integral that companies act diligently, responsibly and lawfully.
Data protection is regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office, and any management and handling of data is a regulated process. Here at Cameo, we’re fully certified to carry out SDS and have invested in all areas of the business to ensure that we’re a gold standard operator within the industry.
So which assets need to be disposed of securely? In essence, everything. If hardware has been used to manage or store data, it must be disposed of correctly. This stretches across a huge range of hardware – from magnetic hard disk drives and smart watches. If it has handled data, it needs to be disposed of safely using the correct procedures.
Compliance is King
The only way of completely protecting your business is to outsource your Secure Data Sanitisation to a trusted and certified partner. In our SDS offering, we will ensure that your company complies with all legal requirements. Furthermore, with Cameo, you’ll be provided with a full and transparent audit trail of your disposed assets which can be kept on record for future reference.
To find out more about how we can help your business dispose of data securely, email us at info@cameoservices.com, or give us a call on 0330 0584 224.