Any data storage medium - paper, computer, copier, hard drive, tablet, smartphone - should be treated as if it contained protected data when it comes to disposal of that storage device. It's simply too easy for thieves to piece digital or analog data back together again and make use of the results for their own nefarious purposes. It's incumbent on all of us to make that task as difficult as possible, and it really doesn't take a lot of time.
Paper
Paper documents containing personally identifiable or confidential information (Level 1 or Level 2 Protected Data) must be shredded. Using standard office shredders is acceptable for documents other than those containing credit card account information. You'll find useful hints and tips on secure paper document destruction on our Paper Shredding page.
Electronic Media Disposal & Destruction
Learn how to implement secure electronic media disposal and destruction procedures.(opens in new window)HDD Reformat
In certain circumstances, such as in the case of on-campus intra-departmental transfers, a media drive may be reformatted to ensure no confidential data is accidentally carried over. Contact your ITSS for more information.HDD Wiping (Non-SSD drives)
If a computer is being reassigned outside of the current administrative unit, all storage must be wiped by Darik’s Boot and Nuke.
Solid State Drive Wiping (SSD)
Current methods of wiping hard drives are not effective on SSDs. Encrypt the hard drive using BitLocker, PGP Whole Disk, or File Vault 2 (Mac) (NOT True Crypt). When the drive is ready for retirement, simply delete the encryption key which leaves the drive inaccessible.
Labeling Wiped Storage Drives
When storage drives are wiped, even in the case of reassignment on campus, the drive must be reformatted or wiped and then labeled with the Certified Wiped Media label. The person performing the wipe certifies and dates the label. If the hard drive cannot be removed, the label is affixed to the top exterior of the case.Disposal of CSU Chico-tagged property
A property management department form(opens in new window) must be completed prior to disposal of all CSU, Chico computer property. Internal hard drives must be either wiped (and labeled) or removed and destroyed via secure e-waste.Disposal of non-tagged property
Secure electronic waste, or e-waste, comprises items such as hard drives (wiped and labeled), USB drives, CDs, DVDs, optical disks, magnetic tapes, etc. To dispose of non-tagged property please contact Property management or Environmental Health and safety.
- If the electronic item is still working, regardless of if it has a property tag,
please contact Property Management(opens in new window) at ext. 5176. - If the electronic item does not have a property tag and it is not working,
please contact Environmental Health & Safety(opens in new window) at ext. 5126.
A note on multifunction devices and data
A document scanned in copier, fax, or scanner mode on a multifunction device, or print data sent from a printer driver, is stored on the machine's hard disk, even after the job is completed.
To erase data after each job completion or disk erasure on a Lanier multifunction device, an optional Data Overwrite Security unit is required. You can then use NSA, DoD, or random number erasure procedures to ensure data recovery is no longer possible.
If you have a Lanier multifunction device that will be disposed of, surplused, or sold back to Lanier, you must delete the data on the hard drive and affix a Certified Wiped Media label to the device. Please consult with the information security office for more information.
