The global average cost of a data breach is around $5 million, according to IBM. And if you’re not wiping your assets (before reassignment or during decommissioning) following the proper data erasure standards, you’re risking a data breach.
In this article, we discuss what data erasure is, its importance, and list the most relevant data erasure standards you must follow during ITAD. This will not only help you stay compliant during audits but also protect your organization against breaches.
TL;DR:
- Data erasure must be secure and permanent—deletion or formatting alone isn’t sufficient for modern IT assets.
- The latest international standards (NIST SP 800-88, DoD 5220.22-M, IEEE 2883) define how to wipe HDDs, SSDs, and more, tailored to technology and risk.
- Secure erasure ensures compliance with strict regulations, prevents breaches, and enables device reuse while minimizing e-waste.
- Techniques like overwriting, cryptographic erase, degaussing, and physical destruction address different device types and goals.
- The right erasure method depends on device type, data sensitivity, and compliance needs—one size does not fit all.