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Destroying data securely - Electronic data carriers
The term electronic data carriers includes, for example, USB sticks, chip cards, solid state hard drives, flash memory from smartphones and tablet PCs, memory cards from digital cameras. These data carriers are also subject to ISO/IEC 21964 (DIN 66399). This means that the personal data on these data carriers must be destroyed in accordance with data protection regulations.
Deleting data on USB sticks
If you want to delete personal or other sensitive data on a USB stick, it can be removed from the storage medium. However, it is not sufficient just to delete the data on the USB stick to permanently and irretrievably destroy it. Recovery of the deleted data on a USB stick data carrier is possible at any time. The same applies to optical data carriers and hard drives.
To delete data irrevocably, the entire storage medium as such must therefore be destroyed.
Destroying USB sticks
If you decide to destroy the data on a USB stick yourself, for instance with the help of a hammer, it should be noted that if the data are not destroyed sufficiently, it may still be possible to read them after the stick has been damaged. Furthermore, destroying USB sticks yourself bears a high risk of injury, e.g. from flying fragments.
Destroying chip cards
To destroy the data on a chip card, the card can be cut or scratched, just like magnetic cards (see also Destroying data securely - magnetic data carriers). However, even this is not sufficient to prevent the data being viewed and read. Here too, the name and verification number remain visible, so that damage can still be done if the card falls into the wrong hands. Even scratching the chip does not always lead to complete destruction and illegibility. If the data is not destroyed professionally, there is a risk that the data can be recovered and thus be read.
Secure destruction of electronic data media
In order to irretrievably destroy the data on electronic data carriers such as USB sticks or chip cards, it is recommended to professionally destroy the data carrier itself, i.e. the USB stick or the chip card. The use of professional media shredders such as an HSM StoreEx device is recommended for this. These devices destroy the electronic data carriers by transforming them into very small particles, thus making a recovery impossible. This means secure data destruction in compliance with data protection regulations.
However, depending on their features, modern document shredders are already capable of destroying electronic data carriers.
When destroying electronic data carriers, make sure that the destruction level is sufficient for the security level required to protect your data.
When shredding electronic data carriers, ensure that they are disposed of correctly. According to the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act, chip cards are electrical appliances and must not be disposed of in household waste.
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