What does sanitization of storage media primarily involve?

Sanitization of storage media primarily involves removing sensitive information from storage. This process is essential to ensure that data cannot be recovered or accessed by unauthorized individuals after it is no longer needed. Sanitization can include various methods such as overwriting data, degaussing, or physical destruction, but the key focus is on effectively eliminating data to protect privacy and security.

When storage devices are no longer in use or are being reused, it’s crucial to perform sanitization to prevent data leaks. Simply deleting files or formatting a drive does not equate to effective sanitization, as such actions often leave recoverable remnants of the data. Therefore, using proper sanitization techniques is vital for organizations to comply with legal and regulatory requirements regarding data protection.

While other methods, such as encryption, physical destruction of drives, or secure backups, may contribute to an overall data security strategy, they do not directly represent the core concept of sanitization in terms of making data irretrievable.