The distinctions between free and premium data erasing software are discussed in this blog. The professional data eraser tool is also mentioned, which safely deletes data from hard discs and other storage devices so that it cannot be recovered.
Many IT asset managers find free data erasure software to be handy. They are ignorant of the severe consequences of incorrect data erasure, such as penalties, legal action, lost clients, and tarnished brand name.
Software for Data Erasure: Free vs. Paid
Here is a comparison of data erasing software that are both free and premium based on several important criteria:
| Parameter | Free Data Eraser Software | Paid Data Eraser Software (BitRaser) |
| Full data erasure | Free tool might not completely erase all data. Free programmes like DBAN also don’t adhere to NIST criteria for media sanitization or international data erasure standards. | Permanent data erasure is carried out by BitRaser without leaving any trace. It complies with 24 international data erasure standards, including those from the DoD and NIST. BitRaser is tested for wiping efficiency by NIST and other international organisations. |
| Effectiveness | Free tools might not be able to find and remove hidden sections like HPA or DCO from drives. | For hard discs and SSDs, the BitRaser data eraser utility permanently deletes data from remapped and buried sectors. |
| Comprehensive Erasure Report | No report or certificate of data erasure is produced by free data eraser tools. | BitRaser produces an in-depth report on data erasure. You can add your company logo to the report to further personalise it. |
| Certification for data deletion | A free utility just offers one message, indicating that the data has been erased. A free utility just offers one message, indicating that the data has been erased. | For audit trails, BitRaser creates a tamper-proof certificate that may be downloaded in PDF format. |
| Precision | Free tools are not accurate and precise. | Data from storage devices is permanently erased by BitRaser. |
| Functionality | Free tools are unable to delete RAID servers or check the health of drives due to a lack of features and capability. Moreover, they don’t support HexViewer for disc sector data wiping verification. | BitRaser erases data from RAID servers and also examines the health of the drive. Moreover, HexViewer is supported for disc sector data wiping verification. |
| Customer Support | No customer support is offered with free tools. | BitRaser offers customer service around-the-clock. |
Advantages of BitRaser Software
The following are some justifications for picking BitRaser data erasure software:
- Safe and Reliable Data Erasure: The BitRaser Data Eraser safely deletes data from HDDs, SSDs, servers, desktops, laptops, and portable electronics. It produces a certificate that is 100% tamper-proof and ensures compliance with international data protection requirements including GLBA, HIPAA, SOX, and the EU-GDPR.
- Bulk Erasure: Using a centralised panel to oversee and monitor the erasure process and preserve reports, the software erases numerous devices or drives across a local area network.
- Regulatory Compliance: BitRaser Data Eraser safely deletes data and creates a tamper-proof certificate of erasure to assist in compliance with a number of international data protection requirements. In addition to supporting 24 data erasure standards, it also supports NIST 800-88, HMG, and DoD 3 and 7 passes.
- Connection with the cloud: The BitRaser Data Eraser software offers flexibility in user creation, licence distribution management, and upkeep of a central library of reports and certifications.
In addition to the reasons highlighted in the table above for why a company should use a professional data eraser software, you may want to consider the repercussions of risky free data erasure solutions.
Free data wiping programmes are responsible for causing an excessive amount of issues for IT asset managers, technicians, and stakeholders in the lack of proof of cleaning. Auditor can make all the members handling IT assets and data management have restless nights if they don’t have complete data erasure records. An organization’s IT asset managers and data controllers may suffer as a result of data breach incidents, which may also result in legal action and penalties.
Use a reputable data erasure programme like BitRaser, which ensures that each device is permanently erased using international data erasure standards, to avoid these problems. It also preserves record of chain of custody, hardware model, unique ID, serial number, and so on in the reports and certificates created by the software. The cloud repository makes it easy to find old records whenever you need them.
To Sum It Up
The blog discusses the main distinctions between free and expensive data erasing software. The best option for secure and permanent data erasing is to use a commercial data eraser programme like BitRaser. This software supports many international data erasure standards and generates reports and certificates of the wiping operation. The best tool for both lowering the risk of data breaches and meeting legal and regulatory obligations is this one.
