In the age of digital transformation and ever-evolving technology, it is more important than ever to prioritize the security of electronic personally identifiable information (PII) within your organization. Having clear policies in place regarding decommissioning of data ensures that all data is disposed of according to the company’s guidelines.
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Importance of PII Data Protection
PII data protection is important for businesses because it helps to ensure the security of customer data. Customer data is a valuable asset for businesses, and if it were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used to commit fraud or identity theft. PII data protection helps to prevent this from happening by ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to customer data.
Maintaining data security is key to preserving data privacy and preventing unauthorized access. As a result, organizations must implement data destruction programs to securely dispose of this personally identifiable information once it is no longer required.
Read More: What is considered PII data?
Ways PII Data is Protected
With the rise of online data collection and storage, it has become increasingly important to ensure that your company’s PII data is protected from potential theft and misuse. Organizations must have a comprehensive strategy in place to protect their customers’ PII data from unauthorized access or misuse, especially when decommissioning older devices.
These include encrypting the data in transit and at rest; using strong authentication methods such as two-factor authentication; regularly monitoring systems for suspicious activity; implementing strict user access controls; and providing staff with security training on a regular basis. Additionally, companies should have a clear policy in place outlining best practices for handling customer data and making sure employees understand how to follow these policies.
Encryption
Encryption essentially scrambles the data so that it cannot be read or understood by anyone without the appropriate key or decryption code. This means that even if someone were to gain access to the encrypted data, they would not be able to make sense of it without the proper tools and knowledge. Encryption also ensures compliance with certain privacy regulations and standards like HIPAA and PCI DSS.
Secure Storage
It’s not enough just to encrypt your PII data — it must also be securely stored. This means using secure storage solutions such as cloud storage providers or dedicated physical storage solutions like hard drives or tape backups in secure facilities. It’s also important to have multiple backups in case one fails or becomes corrupted; this way, you always have another copy of your data available in case something goes wrong with your primary source.
Additionally, you should always keep your backup copies in a different location than your primary source so that they are not vulnerable if something happens to the original source of your PII data.
Data Monitoring
Monitoring solutions for their PII data could be anything from a simple log file analysis program all the way up to sophisticated security analytics software designed specifically for detecting unusual activity on networks containing sensitive customer information.
By regularly monitoring for potential threats and suspicious activity, businesses can quickly detect any attempts at unauthorized access and take steps to prevent further damage before it occurs.
Training and Awareness Programs
It is important for all employees in an organization – not just those in IT – to understand why securing PII data is so important, what they can do to help protect it, and what they should do if they suspect a security breach has occurred.
Organizations should set up training programs that educate employees on these topics and keep them updated on any new developments related to IT security best practices. Additionally, organizations can create awareness campaigns reminding employees of the importance of properly handling sensitive information at all times.
Why Destroy PII Data?
Unsecured personal information makes individuals vulnerable to malicious actors who could exploit their identity for financial gain or other purposes.
The destruction of PII also helps companies comply with privacy laws such as the GDPR and HIPAA regulations that require companies to take steps to protect this type of sensitive data.
There are two ways to destroy PII data: IT asset disposition and data destruction.
IT Asset Disposition
IT asset disposition (ITAD) is an important first step in streamlining the process of managing end-of-life or retired electronic equipment. The main purpose of ITAD is to extract value from used IT assets while protecting the PII data they contain. This can be accomplished through resale, remarketing, donation, recycling, refurbishing, and other methods of reuse.
Additionally, when dealing with retired office equipment such as computers and printers, it is essential to wipe their hard drives clean of any remaining PII before disposing of the hardware so that the information does not fall into the wrong hands.
Some examples of these methods include degaussing, which uses powerful magnets to scramble the contents of a device’s hard drive; overwriting, which involves writing new information over old information; and physical destruction methods such as crushing or shredding a device’s hard drive. The most secure method will depend on the type of device being disposed of and the sensitivity of the PII data stored on it.
Data Destruction
Data destruction is another important layer of protection for businesses dealing with PII data. Data destruction ensures that all confidential information has been permanently wiped from all storage devices as well as any secondary copies stored elsewhere onsite or offsite.
Complete data destruction requires physically destroying every device containing customer PII—including hard drives, CDs / DVDs / flash drives / memory cards, cell phones / tablets / smart devices, and backup tapes—in order to render them unusable by anyone else who may come across them in the future.
Benefits of PII Data Destruction
PII data destruction protects your customers’ information
When you destroy customer data, you’re taking steps to ensure that their personal information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This is important not only for the safety of your customers, but also for the reputation of your business. If customer data is leaked or stolen, it could damage your business’s reputation and lead to legal trouble.
PII data destruction protects your business from liability
If customer data is leaked or stolen, your business could be held liable. This is especially true if the data includes sensitive information such as credit card numbers or social security numbers. By destroying customer data, you can help protect your business from liability in the event of a data breach.
PII data destruction helps you comply with laws and regulations
There are laws and regulations in place that require businesses to destroy customer data when it is no longer needed. These laws and regulations exist to protect consumers’ privacy rights. By destroying customer data, you can help ensure that your business is in compliance with these laws and regulations.
Read More: How do you destroy PII?
Choosing a Dependable PII Data Destruction Provider
PII destruction is essential for any company or organization looking to protect its customers’ personal information from malicious actors. It is also necessary in order to comply with various laws related to privacy protection.
To ensure proper destruction of PII data, organizations must partner with a reliable third-party vendor who specializes in secure data destruction services and can provide evidence that all data has been properly destroyed according to industry standards. Doing so will help organizations protect their customers while ensuring compliance with legal requirements related to privacy protection.
Christina is a Senior Content Strategist. She enjoys writing about recycling, e-waste, PII, risk mitigation, and security, among other areas. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
