International standards are the foundation of secure and verifiable data erasure. In our series The Standards Behind Certus, we explore the frameworks that shape the way organizations protect sensitive information. This time, we focus on the IEEE standards and their role in data sanitization.

What Are IEEE Standards?

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is one of the world’s leading and latest standardization bodies. It publishes globally recognized technical standards across IT, electronics, and communications.

For data erasure, the most important is:

IEEE 2883-2022: The official standard for storage sanitization. It defines precise methods to securely erase data from HDDs, SSDs, etc.

This ensures that erased data is truly unrecoverable, giving organizations and auditors the assurance they need.

Why IEEE Matters for Data Erasure

By aligning with IEEE standards, organizations benefit from:

• Clarity: A clear framework for what secure erasure means across different devices.

• Compliance: Meeting regulatory demands under GDPR, HIPAA, and other data protection laws.

• Interoperability: A common global language for ITAD providers, refurbishers, and enterprises.

• Trust: Certificates backed by internationally recognized standards inspire confidence.

Achieving IEEE Compliance

The IEEE 2883-2022 standard sets strict requirements for how data must be erased across different types of storage devices. Meeting these requirements is not easy:

• Each storage medium (HDD, SSD, NVMe, etc.) has its own technical challenges, which means a “one-size-fits-all” approach does not work.
  
  
• The standard demands that erasure is permanent, verifiable, and tamper-proof, leaving no room for partial results.
  
  
• Independent validation and rigorous testing are required before a solution can truly be considered IEEE-compliant.

Many organizations find it unrealistic to achieve compliance independently; it requires deep technical expertise, specialized tools, and continuous updates as storage technology evolves.

IEEE and the Future of Secure IT

With regulators enforcing stricter controls and circular IT gaining ground, IEEE standards are now central to data erasure strategies. They ensure safe reuse, resale, or recycling of devices without compromising security.

What It Means for Certus Customers

At Certus, our erasure software is designed to meet the demanding requirements of IEEE 2883-2022, covering both Purge and Clear levels. By choosing Certus, organizations can rest assured that their processes comply with the standard. We have integrated compliance, verification, and reporting into the solution.

This way, customers can be confident that every erased device meets the highest level of security, privacy, and sustainability.