mediasanering

Mediasanering (Dutch for media sanitization) is the systematic process of securely erasing, destroying, or otherwise sanitizing media that may contain confidential or sensitive information. It is performed when hardware or storage media is retired, repurposed, or transferred to third parties to prevent data leakage and unauthorized access.

The scope typically covers a range of digital media, including hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), USB flash drives, memory cards, optical discs, and magnetic tapes, as well as backups and, in some policies, printed materials containing sensitive data. The goal is to ensure that residual data cannot be reconstructed or retrieved by unauthorized actors.

The sanitization methods vary by media type and data sensitivity. Data erasure, using certified software tools to overwrite storage sectors, is common for reusable media. Cryptographic erasure involves deleting the encryption keys, rendering data unusable. Physical destruction methods such as shredding, crushing, incineration, or degaussing (primarily for magnetic media) are used for media that must not be reused. The choice of method should align with regulatory requirements, vendor capabilities, and organizational risk appetite. Verification and documentation are essential, including validation reports and destruction certificates to establish chain-of-custody.

Standards and regulatory context include guidelines such as NIST SP 800-88 and applicable privacy laws (for example, GDPR in the EU), along with industry-specific requirements and ISO/IEC 27001 controls. Organizations often engage accredited vendors to perform sanitization and provide verifiable destruction certificates. Effective mediasanering reduces the risk of data breaches during asset disposal, recycling, or repurposing, and supports compliance and data governance obligations.