New independent organization launches to promote data sanitization

With security breaches and theft of sensitive data on the increase, enterprises are searching for ways of keeping their information secure.

One technique that can be used is data sanitization but it's still relatively unknown and often misunderstood within the technology and IT security industry. To try to change this a new independent network, known as the International Data Sanitization Consortium (IDSC), is launching to champion and promote data sanitization best practices.

The IDSC's mission is to eliminate ambiguity around data sanitization, including terminology, standards and guidelines. A recent survey of IT professionals worldwide found that 64 percent failed to identify the correct definition of data sanitization. On top of this, media reports and data recovery studies have repeatedly proven just how easy and dangerous it is for data to be recovered because devices have not been sanitized before they were discarded, recycled, traded in, resold or reused.

IDSC members include influential technology and IT security experts across academic institutions, analyst firms, software providers, hardware manufacturers and other businesses. Richard Stiennon, chief strategy officer of Blancco Technology Group and a former Gartner analyst, is a founding member and acting Director of the IDSC.

"I am astounded by how little is known and understood about data sanitization," says Stiennon. "This stems from confusion about the definition of data sanitization and the varying methods for achieving it. For example, many businesses mistakenly implement certain data removal methods, such as a factory reset, reformatting, data wiping and data clearing, because they believe these methods are capable of achieving data sanitization, when in fact they are not. As a result, the vast majority of organizations today aren't undertaking the necessary steps to implement a data sanitization process and are leaving themselves vulnerable to a potential data breach. This is both disappointing and alarming -- and something we at the IDSC hope to change through ongoing education and guidance."

The consortium wants to educate technology and IT security professionals about data sanitization by creating and sharing useful content that will help businesses better manage and protect their data. This educational content will be contributed by each of the IDSC's participating members and be made available online.

You can find out more about the IDSC on its new website.

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