Accountancy in Bankruptcy - Software based data destruction queries: FOI release

Information requested

The following recorded information held by your department regarding assurance processes for software based data erasure of end of life IT equipment. For clarity, this request relates solely to software based data destruction. Please exclude physical destruction methods such as shredding, crushing, degaussing or disintegration.

1. Please confirm whether departmental policy, contractual terms or internal procedures require an explicit outcome based warranty or guarantee confirming that personal data has been rendered irretrievable through software based erasure, whether carried out internally or by an external provider.

2. Where software based data destruction is performed internally, what recorded evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that the final data state is irretrievable?

3. Where software based data destruction is performed by a third party provider, does the department hold recorded information demonstrating that any warranty or assurance provided explicitly extends to the software erasure method used and its claimed effectiveness? If so, please confirm the recorded nature of that verification.

4. Where no explicit outcome based warranty is required or provided, what recorded form of evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that software based erasure has rendered personal data irretrievable?

I am not requesting technical configuration detail, security sensitive information or supplier specific vulnerabilities. I am seeking confirmation of the assurance model relied upon for software based data destruction.

Response

1. Corporate end user devices are returned under a framework contract to a Scottish Government (SG) supplier who will securely wipe the device and then dispose. Accountant in Bankruptcy (AIB) has not used this service yet, so we are unsure what documentation we will receive as this was previously carried out by SG on AiB's behalf.

2. This is outsourced to an SG supplier.

3. AiB has not used this service yet, so we are unsure what documentation we will receive as this was previously carried out by SG on AiB's behalf.

4. AiB has not used this service yet, so we are unsure what documentation we will receive as this was previously carried out by SG on AiB's behalf.

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