When it comes time to decommission data storage systems, there is much that must be planned and thoroughly carried out. It’s not just about the activity, it is also about due diligence, oversight, and proof. Data that appears to have been deleted is often still recoverable, and in many cases, people make mistakes, such as forgetting a second backup exists somewhere else, or forgetting to verify that a destruction has been successfully and completely deployed. Human errors like this are referred to as unintentional insider threats, since they lead to the potential of data theft, litigation, and penalties.

It is vital to follow a clear plan to ensure all decommissioning steps are taken, and this includes data stored off-site, such as in cloud backup/storage. Specialized experts including Certified Authorization Professionals (CAP) play a key role in ensuring the decommissioning and data destruction process is fully understood, is thoroughly carried out, and can be certified as complete.

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