A major challenge within today’s “data sensitive” environments is the unauthorised access of residual information despite attempts to erase secure data from digital devices. This is due to the fact that the delete function in most operating systems simply marks the space occupied by the file as reusable (removes the pointer to the file) but does not immediately remove the content data. Under this scenario, data can be recovered fairly easily.
Electronic data shredding or “e-shredding” is a phrase used to describe the process of permanently removing electronic data from digital devices. This technology is often compared to paper document shredding, but on a digital level. The fundamental concept is that the data is overwritten in such a way that makes it impossible to retrieve or reconstruct it.
E-shredding offers companies in a variety of industries a stronger level of digital security and sensitive information protection.
Product manager of the Wide Format Printing Systems division of Océ South Africa, Chris Paulet, says: “All organisations must ask themselves whether the documents they print, copy, and scan are confidential in nature or for use only by specific parties.
“Most print devices store submitted digital data (prints, copies, and scans) that could potentially be recovered by unauthorised parties. When data is deleted in a conventional manner, the information is not completely erased and may still be recovered with software. The delete function in most operating systems merely removes the traditional access to the file, but does not immediately remove the content data.
“This means that data can be recovered fairly easily with the right tools.
“Océ uses e-shredding technology in its wide format print, copy, and scan systems. It is an easy to implement and use feature that can help your organisation protect non-public information from prying eyes by immediately overwriting data after the job is processed to ensure your data is secure and no longer available for recovery at all.”
Océ offers a number of overwrite algorithms for increased e-shredding functionality, with standards that vary by country. Gutmann is a common electronic data shredding technology algorithm; this e-shredding technology erases data by utilising 35 overwrite passes. Each overwrite session is the equivalent to four random write patterns, immediately followed by 27 specific patterns executed in a random order.
After that, a lead-out of four more random patterns is performed to ensure results.
US Department of Defence 5220.22-M is a three pass overwriting algorithm, which is generally regarded as the highest level standard for sanitation to counter data remanence. It meets US Department of Defence requirements for disk media deletion. Alternatively, for ultimate control, some systems administrators prefer to customise their e-shredding technology and personally set the number of overwrite passes manually.
This digital security measure is a tailored solution for many businesses worried about security breaches.
Once e-shredding has been enabled on an Océ device, it deletes the job in the following scenarios: when it is manually deleted from a Smart Inbox; after it was successfully printed and was not saved in a Smart Inbox; after a “ScanToFile to external location” has been successfully performed; after a “ScanToFile to USB stick” has been performed successfully or not; when it is automatically deleted after a time-out (when the end of the job lifetime in the Smart Inbox is reached); when a “clear system” is performed on the printer user panel; or when a “clear system at next start-up” is selected in Express WebTools and the system is restarted.
“When many different users have unregulated access to the system, electronic data shredding technology can become a vital part of your digital security,” Paulet concludes.