FOI/202600506255 · FOI · not held
Student Awards Agency Scotland - Assurance process information for software-based data erasure of end of life IT equipment: FOI release
Information requested
1. Please confirm whether departmental policy, contractual terms or internal procedures require an explicit outcome-based warranty or guarantee confirming that personal data has been rendered irretrievable through software based erasure, whether carried out internally or by an external provider.
2. Where software based data destruction is performed internally, what recorded evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that the final data state is irretrievable?
3. Where software based data destruction is performed by a third party provider, does the department hold recorded information demonstrating that any warranty or assurance provided explicitly extends to the software erasure method used and its claimed effectiveness? If so, please confirm the recorded nature of that verification.
4. Where no explicit outcome based warranty is required or provided, what recorded form of evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that software based erasure has rendered personal data irretrievable?
Response
1. Please confirm whether departmental policy, contractual terms or internal procedures require an explicit outcome-based warranty or guarantee confirming that personal data has been rendered irretrievable through software based erasure, whether carried out internally or by an external provider.
The Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) does not hold any departmental policy, contractual requirement, or internal procedure mandating an explicit outcome‑based warranty or guarantee confirming that data has been rendered irretrievable through software‑based erasure. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
2. Where software based data destruction is performed internally, what recorded evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that the final data state is irretrievable?
SAAS does not perform software‑based data destruction internally. SAAS is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. All data erasure is carried out on our behalf by the Scottish Government Information and Technology Services team (SG iTECS). Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
3. Where software based data destruction is performed by a third party provider, does the department hold recorded information demonstrating that any warranty or assurance provided explicitly extends to the software erasure method used and its claimed effectiveness? If so, please confirm the recorded nature of that verification.
SAAS does not directly procure or manage third-party data destruction services. All data erasure activities are undertaken on our behalf by SG iTECS. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
4. Where no explicit outcome based warranty is required or provided, what recorded form of evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that software based erasure has rendered personal data irretrievable?
As above, SAAS does not carry out software-based erasure itself. All erasure activities are conducted by SG iTECS on our behalf. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Accordingly, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
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