The Department of Defense (DoD) is the federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for coordinating and supervising all agencies related to national security. These include anyone working as DoD contractors, in DoD research institutions, healthcare facilities, and government agencies.
The information held within these institutions is confidential and highly sensitive. The country could suffer if it fell into the wrong hands. Learn how you can shred files per DoD standards for enhanced protection.
What are DoD Standards?
The DoD has stringent guidelines for data destruction that guarantee irrecoverable sensitive information. These standards are crucial for businesses dealing with classified or confidential data. The two primary methods of destruction outlined by the DoD are software-based hard drive erasure and physical data destruction. Each method has specific procedures that you must follow to ensure compliance and security.
1. Hard Drive Erasure
Software-based hard drive erasure involves overwriting existing data with random characters. This method ensures that you cannot reconstruct the original data. The DoD 5220.22-M standard specifies three overwriting cycles, including writing a character, its complement, and then a random character. Users must fully repeat the process to ensure thorough erasure.
2. Physical Data Destruction
Physical destruction of data involves the complete destruction of paper or various electronics. Many often use this method when they no longer need or cannot reuse the media. The DoD specifies several methods for physical destruction, including shredding, disintegration, and incineration.
Shredding reduces the media to small particles, making it impossible to reconstruct. Disintegration further pulverizes the media into even finer particles. Incineration involves burning the media in a controlled environment to ensure complete destruction.
3. DoD-Approved Shredder
You must have a DoD approved shredder at your disposal so you can shred files per DoD standards. They physically destroy large stacks of papers and electronics, including hard drives, computer forms, and CDs.
Safeguarding your information, from employee records to previous business plans, is essential. A level 6 machine from Capital Shredder will reduce documents and electronics alike into unrecognizable pieces. View the array of available sizes and destruction features to strengthen your business’s security.
