Why Data Erasure Is Essential to Your Cybersecurity Plan
Did you know the average cost of a data breach in 2021 was $4.37 million?
As cybercrime becomes more prolific, this number is only expected to grow. That said, you can limit the fallout of a data breach by investing in something known as ‘data erasure.’
This post will provide you with a quick look at what data erasure is and why it is so important. Once you’re done reading, you’ll understand why this concept needs to be a big part of your cybersecurity plan.
Let’s begin!
What Is Data Erasure?
At the most basic level, data erasure refers to deleting data you no longer need. More specifically, it refers to deleting data so that it can never be retrieved again.
This is an important distinction because sometimes data can be retrieved from a hard drive, even if someone thinks they have deleted it. This is a big problem if a hacker ever manages to bypass company cybersecurity protocols.
Data erasure is also gaining a lot of attention because it helps companies reduce their carbon footprint.
After all, storing large amounts of data requires a lot of energy. Thus, if you delete the data you no longer need, you can lower your carbon footprint.
GDPR regulations in the EU have also had a big impact on how US companies handle the data of EU users.
If US companies don’t delete EU user data the right way, they might receive a fine. Following this, many US companies are investing in data erasure to ensure that they don’t fall foul of the rules.
How Can You Implement This Concept?
Now that you’ve read the above, you might be wondering how you can make data erasure part of your business cybersecurity plan.
To begin with, you will need to invest in specialist software such as Certus data erasure.
Data erasure software can delete data so that it can never be recovered again. It can also be used to remotely delete data in the event that a device is lost/stolen.
If you invest in this software, you should train staff so that they know how to use it.
Luckily, most of the companies that sell data erasure software offer workshops that explain how the software works. If you ask employees to attend these workshops, you should be able to get everyone up to speed.
Time to Update Your Cybersecurity Plan?
If your cybersecurity plan doesn’t include the use of data erasure, you should consider updating it.
Data erasure can be a lot of work, and unfortunately, this is unavoidable. That said, you can make things easier is by telling staff members to be very intentional about the data they create.
After all, if you can prevent staff from producing too much data, you can limit the quantity of data you have to deal with. This can then reduce the amount of work you have to do in regards to data erasure.
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