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Chapter 9 Operation and Maintenance
9.4.3 Security When Disposing the Server
■ Notes regarding the Deletion of Data from the Hard Disk When
Disposing or Transferring the Server
When disposing or transferring a server that has been used, the data in the hard disk may be read and
used unscrupulously. To prevent confidential or important data from leaking out, the data on the hard
disk must be wiped before disposing of or transferring the server.
However, wiping the hard disk is not an easy task. Simply initializing (formatting) the hard disk or
deleting the files may give the pretense that the data no longer exists, but in reality the data is simply no
longer accessible to the OS, and it is still accessible to malicious individuals that can restore the data.
Therefore, if confidential or important data is saved to the hard disk, in addition to the operations
mentioned above, it is recommended to use third-party tools or services to wipe the data completely
from the disk to prevent its restoration.
When disposing of or transferring the server, it is the customers responsibility to wipe data contained in
the hard disk in order to prevent such important data from leaking.
Also, if software license agreements prohibit unauthorized distribution of software (OS or application
software), transferring the server without removing the software may violate the license agreements.
These issues must be taken into consideration.