In an era where data breaches are becoming increasingly common, protecting employee Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is more critical than ever. Improper disposal of PII can lead to severe consequences, including identity theft, financial loss, and irreparable reputational damage for organizations. In this blog, we will discuss common mistakes businesses make when destroying PII and outline effective, secure destruction methods to mitigate these risks.
Common Mistakes Businesses Make When Destroying PII
Many organizations unknowingly put themselves at risk by not properly handling the destruction of PII. Here are some common mistakes that can lead to serious security breaches:
- Incomplete Destruction: One of the most common mistakes is failing to completely destroy PII. This can occur when documents are simply shredded into strips or when data is not overwritten enough times. For example, basic shredding can leave large enough pieces for criminals to reconstruct, as seen in cases like the DARPA Shredder Challenge.
- Reusing Storage Devices: Reusing storage devices without properly erasing previous data can lead to accidental exposure of sensitive information. Even if files appear to be deleted, they may still be recoverable with the right tools.
- Lack of Verification: Businesses may not verify that PII has been effectively destroyed, leaving it vulnerable to recovery. Without proper verification, you might falsely assume data is gone when it’s still accessible.
- Disposing of PII in Regular Trash: Throwing PII-containing documents or devices into the regular trash can allow unauthorized individuals to access the information. Dumpsters and landfills are prime locations for data thieves searching for valuable information.
- Failing to Update Security Measures: As technology evolves, so do the methods that criminals use to retrieve data. Businesses must continuously update their PII destruction methods to address new threats and vulnerabilities.
Secure PII Destruction Methods
1. Don’t Be a Shredder Challenge Victim:
While shredding documents into strips might seem like a decent way to dispose of old personnel files, it’s far from foolproof. Remember the DARPA Shredder Challenge where participants successfully reconstructed shredded documents? This highlights the fact that basic shredding leaves your data at risk. To ensure complete destruction, consider investing in High Security Shredders that pulverize paper into confetti-sized pieces, making reconstruction nearly impossible.
2. Why Recycling and Trashing Aren’t Safe for PII:
Eco-friendly practices like recycling are important, but when it comes to PII, they aren’t safe. Landfills and dumpsters are treasure troves for data thieves. Moreover, the transportation of these materials is often unsecured, increasing the risk of interception. Instead, it’s crucial to use secure destruction methods that ensure your data cannot be recovered.
Choosing the Right PII Destruction Method:
Depending on the format and sensitivity of the data, different methods may be required to securely destroy employee PII:
- High Security Shredders: For paper documents, High Security Shredders are very effective. They shred documents into tiny pieces that are almost impossible to piece back together. This method is ideal for documents containing highly sensitive information.
- Disintegrators: When High Security Shredders aren’t enough, you can use Disintegrators such as SEM Disintegrators. These machines break down paper and other materials into extremely small particles, ensuring that no part of the document can be reconstructed. These are great for handling large volumes of sensitive material.
- Hard Drive Degaussers: Hard Drive Degaussers are used to destroy data stored on magnetic media, such as traditional hard drives. They work by erasing the magnetic field, making the data completely unreadable. Keep in mind, this method doesn’t work for solid-state drives (SSDs), which use different technology.
Tips for Secure PII Destruction
- Develop a Comprehensive Policy: Create a clear policy outlining procedures for handling and destroying PII. This policy should be regularly updated to reflect changes in technology and regulations.
- Train Employees: Educate employees on the importance of PII protection and proper handling procedures. Regular training ensures that all staff are aware of the risks and how to mitigate them.
- Regular Review: Periodically review and update your PII destruction practices to ensure they remain effective. This includes auditing your processes to ensure compliance and security.
- Consider In-house end-of-life- destruction: For sensitive projects, consider using an in-house shredder or disintegrator to destroy confidential data. This reduces the number of touch points and access to such data, and ensures effective destruction of data.
Conclusion
Protecting employee PII is essential for maintaining trust and complying with data privacy regulations. By following the guidelines outlined in this blog and incorporating secure methods like Disintegrators, Hard Drive Degaussers, and High Security Shredders, you can implement effective measures to securely destroy PII and minimize the risk of data breaches. Regularly reviewing and updating your destruction practices will further enhance your organization’s data security.
Information Security End-of Life Solutions
Paystation provides a range of high-security solutions specifically designed to completely eliminate classified and highly sensitive information. Our selection includes top-tier NSA-listed/CUI and unclassified magnetic media degaussers, IT crushers, and enterprise IT shredders and disintegrators from reputable brands such SEM and EBA . Paystation ensures secure and confidential document destruction, fully aligned with industry standards.