Data media destruction – according to GDPR and BDSG
The destruction of data media and the data stored on them is an essential part of data management. It begins with data collection and ends with data destruction. The relevant legal bases for the destruction of data media, USB sticks, or CDs are the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). As a matter of principle: anyone who collects, stores, and manages data for commercial purposes should also have it professionally destroyed afterwards. A certified waste management company assumes responsibility and liability for compliant data media destruction upon handover of the media to be destroyed.
ISO 21964 – General principles for data media destruction
In Germany, the details regarding the destruction of data media are regulated by ISO 21964. It takes into account the specific characteristics of various data media and establishes standards for the field of office and data technology. This also includes the destruction of magnetic tapes or memory cards.
ISO 21964 is divided into three parts:
- Principles and terminology
- Requirements for machines for the destruction of data media
- Technical and organizational requirements for data media destruction processes
Protection classes and security levels for the destruction of data media and magnetic tapes.
The ISO 21964 standard distinguishes stored data to be destroyed and its carriers into three protection classes for internal and confidential data, as well as for “very high protection requirements for particularly confidential and secret data.” The data media with the stored data are divided into a total of seven security levels. The lowest level, Level 1, applies to general stored records that are made illegible or invalidated. From Level 2 onwards, the security requirement for data destruction increases up to Level 7 for strictly confidential data, for which the highest security precautions must be observed during management and destruction.
As a DIN 66399 certified waste management company, we destroy your files in our own facility according to security level 4.
Nowadays, the destruction of USB sticks or CDs is just as indispensable as the destruction of older data media, including floppy disks from past decades. Many conventional data media are no longer compatible with today’s operating systems and software. Existing data sets are converted and re-saved. At this point at the latest, the previous data medium becomes redundant. It can and must be disposed of in such a way that literally nothing remains of the carrier and the data stored on it.
The data media themselves can be divided into:
- magnetic data media (floppy disk, ID card)
- optical data media (CD, DVDs)
- semiconductor memory (chip card)
- film and microfilm
- other electronic data media
Your direct contact at Augustin:
Henning Behnen
Management – Document and Data Destruction / Portable Toilet Service
If you have any questions, I will be happy to advise you.
Together we will find the best disposal solution for you.
Henning.Behnen@Augustin-Entsorgung.de
