Cyber Security

Data Deletion vs Data Erasure—What is the Difference?

  1. Home Home
  3. Cyber Security
  5. Data Deletion vs Data Erasure—What is the Difference?
2 August 2022

As a business, it goes without saying that you’ll have tons of data saved and that you may need to get rid of sensitive or unnecessary information from your computers or servers quite often. As a result, you may turn to either of the following two methods to carry out this task—data deletion or data erasure. 
Now, you may just regard both actions as ways to ‘remove data’ from your systems, however, they are fundamentally different processes in every sense. These methods have entirely different purposes and mechanisms, not to mention the differences in the end results offered by them. 
If you plan on using either of these approaches to get rid of your business data, first, you must understand the basic differences between data deletion and data erasure. It is essential to understand the core of these approaches, especially because of the various data vulnerabilities that your organisation is open to. 
To help you out, the experts at Redpalm have put together this blog, explaining in detail the differences between data deletion vs data erasure. This will help you to further determine which method your business should choose to keep itself safe from possible vulnerabilities.
Let’s get started!

Data Deletion

Data deletion is the simple process of deleting a file and placing it into the Recycle Bin or Trash. In other words, when you remove a file, the computer will get rid of the pointers to the file and mark the place as ‘open’ for storing new files or data.
However, it should be noted that data deletion doesn’t delete the actual file, only its address. This makes the file invisible and inaccessible to the user, but the file still resides in the storage media. 
This means, anyone can still access your files by using data recovery software, even after they have been deleted. 
To keep your data safe, it’s recommended to contact an IT security company like Redpalm, as we will ensure that no one can access any sensitive information that you’ve deleted from your computer. 

Risks of Data Deletion

As mentioned earlier, data deletion only helps you to create more storage space and has nothing to do with actually getting rid of data to protect the privacy of your business. Put simply, if your business chooses to be ignorant about this, it can put your data at risk. 
Not only that, but if this data is exposed to any unauthorised parties, it could lead to serious issues like financial fraud, customer loss, brand damage and more. Additionally, it can be even worse for your organisation, as data deletion can lead to data breaches and therefore, heavy penalties due to non-compliance with laws and regulations. 
If you’re facing any of these issues, Redpalm’s IT security team can help you. With our business continuity and disaster recovery services, our experienced IT team can prevent any more damage to your company. 

Data Erasure

Data erasure is the process of overwriting the existing data stored in your business storage by using binary or other random patterns. This helps to completely destroy and sanitise any data or sensitive information. 
This process of erasing data is also termed data destruction, as it aims to eradicate any information and render it completely unusable and inaccessible to you or outsiders. However, the overwriting process used for data erasure differs depending on the basis of patterns used. 
What you need to keep in mind though is that the information that is gone due to data erasure won’t be present on the system and there’s no software or in-lab methods or techniques that you can use to recover it. This means that you need to be mindful of the data you want to store and delete from your systems.
To help you out with the process, you can get in touch with professional IT experts like the Redpalm team, as they will ensure that the data is securely eradicated from any device.

Why Should You Use Data Erasure to Get Rid of Unneeded Data?

Data erasure is one of the most secure and efficient methods of getting rid of any unnecessary or sensitive information. This is because it makes sure that hackers or any other potential threats can’t gain access to your data, keeping you safe from any security risks.
Experienced IT Companies like Redpalm can offer data erasure solutions that use safe, certified and trusted methods to completely wipe out data from SSDs and HDDs. Additionally, these methods are enforced by the NCSC, ensuring that once the information is eradicated, it can’t be recovered. 

Contact Redpalm for Robust Cyber Security Solutions

Data breaches are detrimental to organisations, as they cause trouble to your workflow by stealing your confidential data. As a result, it’s important to hire a company like Redpalm that specialises in cyber security and other IT services.
We have a team of knowledgeable IT professionals with years of experience carrying out services like cyber security, technology procurement and more!
To find out how we can help your business be more secure, contact us today!

Search For Posts

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe to receive industry news and insights.

    Trending Articles

    Software Licensing – Why Is It Important?
    cyber criminal tactics, two individuals hacking into a computer system

    7 Common Cyber Criminal Tactics to Watch Out For
    technology as a service, engineer in data center

    The Benefits of Technology as a Service (TaaS) 

    Latest From The Blogs

    prevent a data breach, computer devices with code and access denied displayed on screen
    Cyber Security

    5 Effective Strategies to Prevent a Data Breach

    Data breaches occur when any sensitive information is leaked or exposed to the public without authorisation. They can lead to the loss of your organisation’s intellectual property, customer data, or other confidential information.

    Read More
    cybersecurity metrics, woman next to data projection
    Cyber Security

    7 Cyber Security Metrics Every Business Should Track

    The ever-evolving nature of cyber threats means tracking cyber security metrics is essential for evaluating your company’s cyber security posture and maintaining cyber defences.

    Read More
    digital privacy, person typing in their login credentials
    General

    Understanding the Future of Digital Privacy

    Technological advancements have reshaped how personal information is collected, shared, and used, and privacy has emerged as one of the biggest challenges in this digital age.

    Read More
    cyber security certification UK, two males working on a computer in server room
    Cyber Security

    5 Tips to Secure Your Cyber Essentials Certification in the UK

    According to the 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey conducted by the UK government, 50% of UK businesses experienced a cyber attack or security breach in 2023.  With a growing frequency of cyber attacks, many businesses have begun to prioritise cyber security and cyber security certification in the UK.

    Read More
    cyber security strategy, woman and man working on computers
    Cyber Security

    How to Build a Strong Cyber Security Strategy

    According to cyber security stats, cyber attacks have become more prevalent in recent years, not only increasing in number of incidents but also in their level of sophistication. This increase in ransomware, phishing, and other types of cyber attacks has only emphasised the need and importance of a cyber security strategy for businesses across industries.  An effective cyber security strategy helps you protect your digital assets, such as your systems, networks, and data, from unauthorised access and damage. A well-constructed strategy involves procedures, policies and frameworks to help reduce risks, respond to incidents and safeguard sensitive data.  Your cyber security strategy isn’t meant to be perfect; it’s intended to act as a strongly educated guess as to what you need to do to keep your business safe. As your organisation and the world around you evolve, your strategy needs to evolve as well.

    Read More
    cyber criminal tactics, two individuals hacking into a computer system
    Cyber Security

    7 Common Cyber Criminal Tactics to Watch Out For

    Cyber crimes are attempts by cyber criminals, hackers or other malicious individuals to gain unauthorised access to a computer network or system. These attacks often target a range of victims, from individual users to organisations and even governments, which begs the question, can cyber crime be curbed?

    Read More
    improve online security, a person using a laptop with visual of security overlaid on top of image
    Cyber Security

    6 Simple Ways to Boost Your Company’s Online Security

    Online security, aka cyber security, involves protecting your business’s sensitive information and critical systems from unauthorised access and theft. With data networks being almost universal, fraudsters are becoming more and more innovative with their scams. Every day, countless cyber criminals scan unsecured or poorly secured networks, looking for an opportune moment to attack.

    Read More
    phishing email scam, paper email icon on a hook above a laptop
    Cyber Security

    A Deep Dive Into HR Phishing Email Scams

    Have you ever received an email from your HR team that appeared too good to be true? Or perhaps there was something about it that sounded a little off. Beware—you may have narrowly avoided falling into the clutches of an HR phishing email scam.

    Read More
    technology as a service, engineer in data center
    General

    The Benefits of Technology as a Service (TaaS) 

    Traditionally, IT infrastructure necessitated a server installed on your business premises to allow access to hardware and software applications. If you wanted to scale your data storage and services, you had to purchase additional hardware or invest in expensive upgrades.

    Read More
    global IT outage, woman looking stress while computers are showing coding errors
    General

    A Deep Dive Into Microsoft’s CrowdStrike Global IT Outage

    As one of the largest IT outages in history, thousands of businesses and institutions around the world were knocked offline. From airports to healthcare institutes to offices and railways, the Microsoft outage has led to widespread disruptions and delays across the world.

    Read More