What is the main purpose of incineration in the context of media sanitization?

The main purpose of incineration in the context of media sanitization is data destruction. This process involves the combustion of electronic media to completely eliminate any stored data. When incinerated, the heat destroys the physical components of the media, which makes it impossible to recover any information that was previously contained on it. This high-temperature treatment ensures that even sophisticated data recovery techniques cannot retrieve the information, thus providing a secure method for sanitizing sensitive data.

Other methods of media sanitization, such as shredding or degaussing, may leave parts of the data intact or require additional steps to ensure complete destruction. In contrast, incineration thoroughly reduces the risk of data retrieval, making it an effective choice for organizations that handle highly confidential information and need a reliable method of disposal.