Log files are an often-overlooked area when destroying files and records manually. Many software products and all operating systems have some level of logging taking place in the background. Certified data erasure (sometimes called “disk wiping”) software equips you to remove stored log files and comply with internal data security protocols.

What are locally stored log files? 

A log file is a running record of events that occur while using a software product or triggering events within the operating system.

Log files contain valuable information about how a network is performing and may contain sensitive data that needs to be removed on a regular basis. 

For both of these reasons, it is important to include log files in your network security plan and drive erasure or data wipe procedures. After all, consider:

• Operating an e-commerce site will generate not only visible financial records but transaction logs behind the scenes. 
• Some software products record all events, including deletions of words and files, within their own locally stored log files as part of their audit log. 
• Web browsers may store data locally, including search history and cached pages, which need to be cleared on a regular basis. 
• The operating system stores a complete record of critical events that allow engineers to troubleshoot each piece in a complex network. 
• Log files can grow extremely large over time for heavily used products and systems, requiring removal or archiving to free up valuable disk space on devices with limited storage capacity. 

Why should your organization actively manage log files? 

All of these log files need to be addressed in a secure data management plan for regulatory requirements in many industries. While these log files are usually stored on each device, they can also be stored in a more secure central location, duplicating the data.

An effective data security plan must address log file erasure and ensure all logs, regardless of location, are verifiably sanitized, particularly if required by regulation requirements.

Actively incorporating data erasure as part of log file management will lower the risk of sensitive information being breached from overlooked files and free up storage space.

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