An industry is growing up which is looking at the issues of responsible ‘information destruction’.
A growing debate about the security of data has grown to include the computer recycling industry, which is now being asked to verifiably destroy data along with physical components.
Merely donating old computers to schools, libraries or other nonprofit organizations may become a casualty of the information age. The need to conform to regulations including HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires financial and other health care institutions to ensure that no confidential data is exposed to public view, something that can occur if naked hard drives are resold to other organizations.[E-Cyclers Embrace Data Destruction]
There is a reference to the National Association for Information Destruction.
Recently, Brian and I argued that digital preservation should be seen as an integral element of responsible digital asset management, rather than as a finishing optional varnish. This discussion provides another interesting aspect of asset management. It might be fruitful to consider the relationship between effective ‘information destruction’ and effective ‘information preservation’.
