NIST 800-88: Guide to Secure Erasure of Information

Key Principles of NIST Guide 800-88

Information categorization

• Definition and scope: This guide emphasizes the importance of categorizing information according to its level of confidentiality and the impact that its unauthorized disclosure could have.
• Implementation: Organizations should evaluate and classify their data to determine the most appropriate erasure method, whether through wiping, purging, or physically destroying the media.

Secure Erasure Methods

• Cleaning: Intended to protect information against standard data recovery techniques, applicable to media that will be reused internally.
• Purge: Provides protection against more advanced data recovery techniques, recommended for media that will change control or be discarded.
• Physical destruction: Ensures that the media is completely unusable and irreparable, indicated for when the media cannot be purged.

Verification, Documentation and Compliance

Deletion Verification

• NIST 800-88 recommends verifying the effectiveness of secure erasure to ensure that the data has been properly deleted and is not recoverable.
• This includes performing audits and sample tests to validate that deletion methods have been implemented correctly.

Process documentation

• The guide highlights the importance of meticulously documenting secure erasure processes, including the methods used, the date of erasure, and verification of the effectiveness of the process.
• This documentation is crucial to demonstrate compliance with internal policies and external regulations on information protection.

Compliance and Continuous Improvement

• Adhering to NIST 800-88 helps organizations comply with best practices and regulatory standards for information protection.
• Regularly reviewing erasure processes and updating policies based on technological advances and regulatory changes are critical to continuous improvement of information security.

Related Blancco Products

Other Secure Erasure Compliance Guides

• National Security Scheme (ENS)
• ISO/IEC 27040:2015: Information Storage Security
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST 800-88)
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)