Self-destructing data to protect personal details

[Simon]

A Dutch scientist has developed a system of deleting private details from databases automatically with pre-set time bombs that ensure redundant personal data is not left festering on company hard drives.

Dr Harold van Heerde of the Centre for Telematics and Information Technology at the University of Twente says his database software allows information to degrade as it becomes less relevant to the company or organisation holding the data.

The system, the scientist claims, means there would be far less danger of legacy details being leaked in a security breach.

"A lot of data becomes increasingly less valuable for a service provider over time, but they tend to keep it and often don't take sufficient precautions to protect it, so there is no balance between the value of the data and privacy risk," van Heerde told PC Pro.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/358816/self-destructing-data-to-protect-personal-details

[kinmel]

I can't imagine any company seeing an advantage with that idea

[DorsetBoy]

A Dutch scientist has developed a system of deleting private details from databases automatically with pre-set time bombs that ensure redundant personal data is not left festering on company hard drives.

Microsoft already did that years ago, it was called Windows ME 

[Rik]

[Ray]

 

[Technical Ben]

I thought it was called the Train? Or at least the public sector seems to think that. 

[Rik]

 

This is sadly true.