What Is NIST 800-88?

NIST 800-88 is a government-issued publication officially titled “Guidelines for Media Sanitization.” It outlines best practices for the secure erasure or destruction of data on various types of storage media—such as hard drives, solid-state drives, magnetic tapes, and optical discs.

It categorizes data disposal into three primary methods:

• Clear – Overwriting data so it cannot be recovered using standard systems.

• Purge – Rendering data unrecoverable through advanced techniques such as degaussing or cryptographic erasure.

• Destroy – Physically destroying the device so that data recovery is impossible.

These processes are essential for any organization that wants to protect customer information, comply with regulatory requirements, and avoid data breaches.

Why Is NIST 800-88 Important?

If your business handles sensitive, proprietary, or regulated information—think healthcare records, financial data, or customer databases—then following NIST 800-88 is not just a best practice; it’s a necessity. Failure to properly sanitize media could result in data leaks, regulatory fines, or irreparable damage to your brand reputation.

DES Technologies helps eliminate that risk. We provide media sanitization and physical destruction services that adhere strictly to the guidelines, backed by Certificates of Data Destruction for your peace of mind and audit readiness.

Our NIST 800-88 Compliant Services Include:

• On-site and off-site data destruction

• Hard drive and SSD sanitization

• Degaussing for magnetic media

• Shredding and crushing services

• Chain-of-custody documentation

• Compliance with HIPAA, GLBA, GDPR, and more

Whether you’re decommissioning a single server or an entire data center, we’ve got the expertise and tools to get the job done securely—and in full compliance with NIST 800-88 standards.

Trust DES Technologies With Your Data Disposal

At DES Technologies, we understand that secure media disposal is more than just a checkbox. It’s a critical part of protecting your business, your customers, and your reputation. That’s why we make it simple for you to meet NIST 800-88 standards—while saving time and reducing liability.

Ready to dispose of your media securely?