What should you do with copies of sensitive information when they are no longer needed?

Disposing of sensitive information in a secure manner is essential for maintaining confidentiality and protecting against unauthorized access. Once sensitive documents are no longer needed, they should be destroyed in a way that ensures they cannot be reconstructed or retrieved. This typically involves methods like shredding paper documents, securely erasing electronic files, or utilizing secure disposal services for sensitive materials.

This approach minimizes the risk of data breaches and upholds the standards of privacy and security that organizations are required to respect. Secure disposal methods comply with legal and regulatory requirements regarding data handling, thereby mitigating liability for the organization.

Other options, such as storing sensitive information indefinitely or giving it to a colleague for personal review, expose the information to unnecessary risks, while burning it could lead to environmental concerns and may not guarantee complete destruction of the data.