6 Key Traits Enterprises Should Look for in a Data Erasure Vendor

Not all software vendors offer the same level of protection for your sensitive data, or an equal range of erasure options. Use this list to determine if a prospective vendor makes the cut.

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Data erasure is the secure, compliant choice to sanitize end-of-life data and devices. But you have a choice of different products, so which data erasure vendor offers the best solutions? This best practice checklist gives you the questions you should be asking when selecting the right tools for your organization.

Do they offer extensive erasure standards coverage?

To ensure quality and consistency, organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) publish detailed erasure guidance and standards. A reliable data erasure vendor should offer compliance with a wide range of these standards, including NIST 800-88, DoD 5220.22-M, and IEEE 2883.

With 25+ erasure standards, Blancco solutions meet or exceed all major protocols.

Does the data erasure vendor have accredited products?

Erasure solutions worth your investment should be independently tested to verify their effectiveness and security. When assessing any prospective products, look for current accreditations from government and industry bodies such as Common Criteria, ADISA, and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

With 13+ data erasure certifications, recommendations, and approvals, Blancco solutions meet the rigorous requirements of more government agencies, legal authorities, and independent testing laboratories than any other option on the market.

Do they hold current ISO certifications?

Beyond their products, the best data erasure software providers also hold company-wide security and quality assurance certifications. These indicate a commitment to best practices and secure processes.

Blancco holds a wide range of approvals, including ISO 27001 for information security, ISO 27701 for privacy information management, and ISO 9001 for quality management.

Does the data erasure vendor have a history of innovation?

To stay ahead of emerging storage technologies and security threats, your prospective vendor should demonstrate ongoing investment in research and development.

With over 40 patented and patent-pending innovations fueling the company’s proprietary technology, Blancco provides cutting-edge data sanitization software built for the digital world.

How will they help you be more efficient?

Your enterprise will have a diverse inventory of IT assets, so any prospective data erasure company should offer solutions to erase them all at scale. From desktops and laptops to servers and virtual machines, insist on the ability to erase a wide variety of storage types at enterprise-scale efficiency.

Blancco’s solutions cover the broadest range of assets, with additional features like BIOS freeze lock removal and RAID dismantling to further enhance versatility.

Is global support offered?

Enterprise customers need a vendor with a strong global support framework with multiple service tiers, multilingual support, and technical account management.

Blancco can offer best-in-class enterprise support, including a comprehensive online knowledge base, 24×7 availability, and support in 10 languages.

The data erasure buyer’s checklist

The best way to assess the suitability of a vendor and its solutions is to ask tough questions. Make sure you’re completely satisfied they can meet the following criteria.

COMPETITORBLANCCO
GENERAL CAPABILITIES
Does the software offer automation, remote erasure, and integration with existing enterprise systems??✅
Does the software comply with major erasure standards (e.g., NIST 800-88, DoD 5220.22-M, and IEEE 2883) and allow you to specify a standard??✅
Are data erasure products certified by recognized government or industry bodies (e.g., Common Criteria and ADISA)??✅
Does the vendor offer erasure solutions for all IT assets, including HDDs, SSDs, servers, mobile devices, and removable media??✅
Can you perform targeted erasure of data in active environments (e.g., files, folders, or LUNs)??✅
Does the vendor verify complete data erasure and provide a tamper-proof audit trail for compliance??✅
Does the software support simultaneous erasure of multiple drives or devices to improve efficiency??✅
Does the software provide digitally signed, audit-ready reports that can be customized to meet internal compliance needs??✅
Can compliance and security teams easily access, save, and send erasure reports for auditing??✅
SSD AND ADVANCED ERASURE CAPABILITIES
Does the vendor offer a dedicated SSD erasure process, and does it support the widest array of SSDs (e.g., NVMe, SAS, and SATA)??✅
Does the software check for and remove BIOS freeze locks to ensure complete data sanitization??✅
Does the vendor erase SSD firmware and verify that no recoverable data remains??✅
SCALABLE DATA ERASURE FOR DATA CENTERS AND HIGH-VOLUME ORGANIZATIONS
Can the software erase tens, hundreds, or even thousands, of servers simultaneously??✅
Can the software erase servers while they are still in-rack??✅
Can the software connect to an array of drives and target the entire array for erasure??✅
Does the vendor offer real-time erasure in active environments??✅
Does the software offer a variety of online and offline deployment options??✅
SUPPORT
Does the vendor offer multilingual global support, including 24/7 availability, technical account management, and onboarding training??✅
Is the vendor a recognized leader in the field, with a proven history of innovation comparable to Blancco’s 25+ years and 40+ patents??✅

Download this data erasure buyer’s guide best practice to ensure you get the most from the procurement process.

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