What is NIST 800-88?

NIST Special Publication 800-88, titled "Guidelines for Media Sanitization," is published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It is the most widely referenced standard for data destruction in the United States and provides a framework for choosing appropriate sanitization methods based on the confidentiality level of the data.

The standard defines three levels of sanitization: Clear (logical overwriting suitable for reuse within the organization), Purge (more thorough methods like cryptographic erase or degaussing for external reuse), and Destroy (an approved physical technique, such as shredding or disintegration, that leaves the media unusable and laboratory recovery infeasible). Revision 2, published in September 2025, superseded Revision 1 (2014) and is the current publication; it notes that partial physical damage such as drilling or bending does not by itself meet the Destroy definition.

For businesses retiring IT equipment, NIST SP 800-88 alignment means using documented, verifiable methods chosen for the media and the sensitivity of the data. A well-run process includes selecting the appropriate sanitization method, verifying the result, and documenting the entire process with certificates of destruction. This documentation supports recordkeeping under regulations like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOX. NIST SP 800-88 is guidance, not a certification, so a provider can align its process to it but cannot be "NIST certified."