Wiping Different Operating Systems

No matter which operating systems you use in your business, using data erasure software is arguably the best way to ensure your valuable information cannot be restored or reconstructed—but which data destruction method is best for the OS you are using?

Vivian Cullipher Vivian is a career writer and editor, having covered technology-related topics for government and B2B organizations since before LinkedIn and the iPhone. As Blancco’s head of content, she oversees the development of thought-leadership-based copy for web, social media, and other Blancco communication channels.

Wiping different operating systems

Any data erasure software can perform a basic overwrite of data, but using a solution that meets the rigorous data sanitization standards of government agencies and international protocols will make your data irretrievable.

Blancco secure data erasure software completely removes data on an enterprise scale—and that includes handling the various operating systems that may be found throughout your infrastructure.

Certified data erasure software for all types of operating systems

There are both hardware and software considerations when you choose a data sanitization methods for your business. Many large businesses are still using physical data destruction as a costly way to achieve data sanitization, but using a certified, software-based data destruction program is more cost-effective.

Blancco Drive Eraser  is compatible with these common computer operating systems:

• Computers with x86 or x86-64 architectures
• All versions of Microsoft® Windows®
• All versions of Mac starting with OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard, including Intel-based Macs, and those with T2 chips
• Chrome OS (from 2015 onwards)
• All versions of Linux

Other data erasure products within our solutions suite also cover many of the operating systems in use by enterprises today.

In addition, our flagship mobile software, Blancco Mobile Diagnostic & Erasure, deftly handles all common smartphone and tablet operating systems, including Android and iOS.

Data security with secure remote access

Secure solutions are available at any scale to achieve regulatory compliance in almost any industry. Blancco data erasure software supports:

• Private data centers
• Co-location services
• Third-party cloud providers
• End-of-lifecycle protocols
• Active file structures
• Virtual machines
• Logical storage area networks

Which process meets your data erasure needs?

Sometimes the entire operating system and all data need to be removed, but there are many levels of data security and data erasure that can be achieved with certified, verifiable data destruction software. Some of these include:

• Products like Blancco Drive Eraser wipe personal data, including browser data, meeting U.S. Department of Defense specifications while preserving the operating system. This technology allows computers to be repurposed with no risk of unauthorized access to old data.
• Data destruction standards can determine how rigorously you want data removal processes to me. The most common data sanitization categories are NIST Clear and NIST Purge. Clear protects data from “keyboard” attacks, while the more stringent Purge approach removes data beyond even laboratory forensic data recovery methods. Blanco solutions erase to more than 25 different standards.
• Solutions for mobile devices and those which use an SD card for data storage also exist, protecting company resources like cell phones, tablets, and flash drives.

Choosing the best data erasure software for your operating system

Even if your organization or enterprise uses a combination of operating systems or stand-alone networks, there is data erasure software available to ensure you meet regulatory requirements and internal security protocols each time, every time.

Content lightly edited on 12/15/2022 to include up-to-date operating system information.

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