Imagine you have a bunch of old gadgets lying around that you want to get rid of. Maybe you've upgraded to a newer laptop, or you have a computer that's seen better days. But wait - before you toss them in the trash or give them away, you need to make sure you're not leaving any sensitive data behind for sneaky cyber-criminals to steal! Even if you format your disk or factory reset your computer, your downloaded bank statements or private photos (yes those photos) could still be recovered quickly and easily by a basic hacker, tools are now easily available online to recover old data.
That's where NIST 800-88 comes in. It's like the Marie Kondo of data cleaning - it helps you decide how to say goodbye to your old digital junk in a way that's safe and secure. NIST 800-88 has three levels of data cleaning:
Clear - this is like wiping down your old phone with a disinfectant wipe. It removes all the data you can see, but there may still be traces of it left behind. This method involves overwriting the entire media with a single pass of zeros or random data to prevent easy recovery of data.
Purge - this is like doing a deep clean on your computer. You're going to go over every nook and cranny multiple times to make sure no data is left behind. This method involves overwriting the entire media with multiple passes of random data to make it very difficult to recover any data from the media.
Destroy - this is like taking a hammer to your old hard drive. You're going to make sure there's absolutely no way anyone can get their hands on your old data. This method involves physically destroying the media so that no data can be recovered.
So, next time you're getting rid of an old device, remember to thank it for its service, and then follow NIST 800-88 to make sure it goes out with a bang - not a data breach!
On a serious note NIST 800-88 is important for organisations and individuals who handle sensitive information to ensure that they properly dispose of their media containing such data to avoid potential data breaches or unauthorized access.
That's were Destruct Pro comes in....................