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Why this module exists. Secure destruction of media and hardware — the controlled disposal of disks, tapes, phones, and other devices that hold data — is the often-overlooked tail of the data lifecycle. Incorrect destruction is a routine source of data exposure: laptops sold on OLX with HR data still on them, decommissioned servers with PII recoverable from disks, USB drives in dustbins. This module is the operational standard.
Why this module exists. The data that you forgot was there is the data that becomes a breach. Every device that has ever held sensitive data is a potential exposure when retired. This module covers what to destroy, how, and how to prove it was done.
The destruction-standard landscape
- NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1 — Guidelines for Media Sanitization. The reference framework. Defines three levels: Clear, Purge, Destroy.
- Indian Standard IS 13252 — for electronic waste handling.
- BS EN 15713 — secure destruction of confidential material (mostly paper, applicable to digital media too).
- DPDP Act — requires erasure when retention purpose is exhausted; method is your choice but it must be effective.
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