Indiana organizations face expanding data security and e-waste compliance requirements in 2025. This guide delivers exactly what you need to know: how Indiana laws regulate the secure destruction of digital media and hard drives, the state’s breach notification and privacy statutes, enterprise e-waste obligations, and proven best practices that defend your business and reputation.

Indiana Data Security Laws: Breach Notification and Digital Data Disposal

Summary of Indiana Breach Notification Law (IC 24-4.9)

Applicability: All businesses and government agencies owning or licensing resident personal information.
Scope: Requires notification to Indiana residents of any data breach involving unauthorized acquisition of computerized data that may compromise the security or integrity of personal information. Covers digital and derived paper records.
Personal Information Defined: Name plus SSN, state ID/driver’s license number, or financial account numbers with security codes.
Notification Requirements:
- Affected Individuals: Must notify without unreasonable delay and within 45 days of discovery (per 2022 amendment).
- Attorney General: Must notify if more than 1,000 Indiana residents are affected. See official Indiana AG FAQ
- Consumer Reporting Agencies: Notification required if >1,000 affected.
- Substitute Notice: Allowed if incident affects >500,000 or costs exceed $250,000.
- Penalty: Up to $150,000 per breach (AG enforcement); no private action.
No Notification Required: If the organization reasonably determines the breach is unlikely to cause identity theft or fraud (risk of harm analysis).

There are no changes to this statute for 2025.

Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act (INCDPA, Effective January 1, 2026)

Who Must Comply: Businesses that process data of 100,000+ Indiana residents annually, or 25,000+ residents if deriving 25% revenue from data sales.
Requirements (2025 Preparation):
- Implement reasonable data security practices (physical, technical, and administrative).
- Conduct and document data protection assessments by December 31, 2025.
- Enable resident rights (access, correction, deletion, opt-out of sales/targeted ads/profiling).
- Limit data collection to what is adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary.
- Enforced by Attorney General; penalties up to $7,500 per violation.
Exemptions: GLBA- and HIPAA-covered entities, nonprofits, higher education.

Action: Businesses must update IT asset disposition and destruction policies now for full compliance by January 1, 2026.

For authoritative summary on privacy law, see the IAPP state law tracker.

Secure Digital Data Destruction in Indiana: Standards and Best Practices

Even without explicit “how to destroy data” mandates, Indiana’s breach definition and the INCDPA require defensible, standards-based methods for destroying digital data at end-of-life. The risk of data remanence—and severe breach penalties—demand industry best practices.

Use NIST SP 800-88 as the Gold Standard

NIST SP 800-88 Guidelines: Recognized as the “gold standard” for secure media sanitization. Indiana businesses should align IT asset disposition protocols with NIST’s definitions of “Clear,” “Purge,” and “Destroy.” (Read the full NIST guide)
- Clear: Overwriting with software—only for securely wiping HDDs intended for reuse (ineffective for SSDs/flash).
- Purge: Advanced overwriting, degaussing, or cryptographic erasure—applicable to traditional HDDs/tape.
- Destroy: Physical destruction (shredding, crushing, pulverizing)—absolute method for all media, required for SSDs and non-reusable media.

Secure Hard Drive Disposal and Chain of Custody

Conduct an inventory and risk assessment of all end-of-life IT assets.
Ensure end-to-end, auditable chain of custody: serial tracking, secure handling, and GPS-tracked transport.
Require Certificate of Destruction (CoD) listing asset details, date/location, method, and witness signature.
Partner only with NAID AAA certified providers for digital media destruction (see certification info).

For more on certified destruction options, visit our Hard Drive Shredding page.

Indiana E-Waste and IT Asset Recycling Laws—2025

Indiana bans disposal of covered electronics by households, small businesses, and public/charter schools. State law (IC 13-20.5) governs responsible recycling and processing.

Key E-Waste Requirements

Covered Devices: TVs, monitors, computers, tablets, e-readers, printers, peripherals (complete list on IDEM E-Cycle).
Ban on Landfilling/Incineration: Effective since January 1, 2011. Must recycle or reuse covered devices.
Manufacturers: Register with IDEM; recycle ≥60% by weight of household VDD sales year prior.
Collectors/Processors: Must be state-registered; adhere to operational/regulatory standards.
Business Requirements:
- Small businesses (<220 lbs hazardous waste/month) – must recycle; if larger generator, manage as hazardous waste unless recycled under 329 IAC 16.
Consumer Compliance: No disposal in trash; use certified collectors/recyclers (find local e-waste drop-offs).
2025 Developments: IDEM issued a July 2025 report recommending expanded use of electronic waste fund, but no law changes are enacted yet.

DO NOT dispose of old drives/media in Indiana landfills—only use responsible and secure processors.

Best Practices for Data Destruction and E-Waste Compliance in Indiana

What Enterprises Must Do (2025):

Develop and enforce a written data destruction policy that covers legal, technical, and compliance needs.
Routinely update policies to satisfy new standards (NIST SP 800-88, INCDPA).
Require vendors to provide NAID AAA certification, auditable chain of custody, and documented procedures.
Destroy end-of-life hard drives and SSDs via on-site or secure off-site shredding—never simply “wipe and recycle” SSDs.
Ensure electronic waste recycling is handled by IDEM-registered and, ideally, R2v3 or e-Stewards certified vendors.
Retain records (Certificates of Destruction, recycling manifests) for future audits and incident response.

For regulatory references and resources, see:

Why Data Destruction, Inc. Is Indiana’s Trusted Partner

Indiana businesses cannot afford data breach or compliance failure. Data Destruction, Inc. guarantees security, legal compliance, and auditable proof—every time. Our hard drive shredding, on-site destruction, and data wiping solutions fully align with NIST SP 800-88 and all Indiana laws. We maintain NAID AAA certification, strict chain of custody, and deliver full Certificates of Destruction.

Ready to protect your business and reputation? Contact us now or call +1 (866) 850-7977.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are Indiana’s requirements for secure data destruction in 2025?

Indiana mandates notification for breaches of computerized personal info and, by 2026, requires businesses to implement reasonable data security under the INCDPA. There is no state-mandated technical destruction method, but best practice is to use NIST SP 800-88 compliant processes and certified destruction vendors.

2. Who must comply with the Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act?

Businesses that process data of 100,000+ Indiana residents annually or 25,000+ with significant revenue from data sales. Most small entities are exempt, as are GLBA/HIPAA-covered organizations.

3. What is the penalty for failing to report a data breach in Indiana?

The Attorney General may seek up to $150,000 per breach and up to $5,000 per deceptive act (failure to disclose).

4. Do Indiana laws specify how digital data must be destroyed?

No method is prescribed, but legal risk—and best practice—requires aligning with NIST SP 800-88 for digital media sanitization and using certified providers.

5. Can I just delete files or reformat drives before disposal in Indiana?

No. Simple deletion/reformatting does not securely remove data. Drives and media must be securely sanitized or physically destroyed. See NIST Guidelines.

6. What are Indiana’s e-waste recycling laws for businesses?

Indiana bans landfill/incinerator disposal of covered electronics by households, schools, and small businesses. All covered devices must be recycled through registered IDEM collectors/recyclers.

7. How do I choose a compliant data destruction vendor in Indiana?

Look for NAID AAA certified providers with NIST-based processes, secure chain of custody, and documented Certificates of Destruction.

8. Do these rules apply to paper records?

Breach law covers paper if derived from computerized data. Separate regulations apply to physical records. See AG FAQ.

9. Are there local municpal e-waste rules in Indiana?

No; state law preempts, but cities/counties operate compliant drop-off sites for covered e-waste.

10. How should healthcare or financial institutions approach data destruction in Indiana?

While certain federal exemptions apply, both must comply with respective (HIPAA, GLBA) technical safeguards—which require secure physical/electronic destruction of all PHI/PII. See HIPAA disposal FAQ.