As you get ready to shut down your company for the night, you are reminded of a task that needs to be completed before tomorrow morning: securely disposing of old hard drives. Where to dispose of hard drives? How can they be disposed of safely? This blog explores how you can dispose of sensitive data on your company’s hard drive with minimal risk and maximum benefits!
First, it is important to understand the scope of sensitive data. While hard drives are often associated with financial information and company files, there are also a number of other sources that may have confidential information that needs to be disposed of securely. This includes printed documents (such as e-mails and contracts), paper documents stored on-premises (these could be old corporate records) or in the cloud (for example, sensitive customer communications). It’s not just about destroying these items one by one; when large volumes of data need to be destroyed simultaneously, appropriate disposal methods need to be considered for each type before you can dispose of them safely!
Wipe It and Recycle
Recycling isn’t only for plastic water bottles and paper. If you don’t want to physically destroy your company’s hard drives, recycling is an alternative method of disposal. In order to recycle your old hard drives, first, wipe them of data by using a program like DBAN. You can also wipe data from hard drives with PGP whole disk encryption. After the data is wiped, recycle old hard drives by taking them to a recycling station.
Sell Your Hard Drives
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get rid of old hard drives, sell them! You can do this by posting an ad on your company’s website or listing the used hard drive online in order to find a new home. If you plan on selling off your old hard drives, make sure they are wiped clean before putting them up for sale. This will ensure that any information stored within is safe from potential buyers who might want access to sensitive data (including).
Shredding
If you’re looking for a safe and secure way to dispose of old hard drives, consider shredding them. Hard drive shredders are designed specifically to destroy data on disks by cutting it into tiny pieces with rotary blades. Shredded hard drives can be recycled or disposed of in the trash without any worries about identity theft or other personal information that might have been stored on the drive.
Degaussing
One of the more complex techniques is known as degaussing. This process involves an electric current flowing through the hard drive in order to produce a magnetic field. The device is then rotated at high speeds for 30 seconds and that erases every single bit of data on it.
This is not only more expensive but also very time-consuming compared to other methods because you need special training and equipment in order to get this done properly.
The degausser will need some time (usually up to three hours) before they are ready again after each use, which means you can’t do multiple jobs back-to-back with these machines. It’s worth noting, though, that they might be right for your company if there’s no possibility of any future reuse or recycling of the drives involved.
Disintegration
Disintegration is a preferred method of disposing of hard drives, another option. It involves putting the hard drive in a machine, a disintegrator, that slices it into small pieces.
This is the most expensive option of all three, but it’s also often the best. Disintegration eliminates any possibility that someone in your company could lose their job due to lost or stolen data. However, you’ll need to use a professional disposal service to use a disintegrator.
Physical Destruction
The other option is to physically destroy the hard drive. There are a number of ways that this can be done, such as crushing or drilling holes in it and putting it through an industrial shredder. If you’re considering physical destruction, remember that these methods will create small metal pieces which could pose a danger if they find their way into water sources like rivers or streams.
Professional Data Destruction Services
The best option for destroying sensitive data from your company’s hard drives is professional data destruction services that offer specialized equipment such as hydraulic presses, magnets, and high-powered deionizers. These types of devices will completely obliterate all traces of your important documents, so they won’t end up falling into the wrong hands. This is by far the most effective way to ensure all the data is destroyed along with the hard drive. It is much more thorough than home remedies or software.
They also offer the best security for your sensitive information by being able to destroy every last trace of it, making sure that nobody else will ever have access to your personal and professional data again. IntelliShred’s professional data shredding services specifically help companies dispose of hard drives, reducing the risk of data security breaches. This can be especially helpful if you work in an industry with strict regulations on how long certain types of information should remain private before disposal.
How Safe Are Hard Drive Disposal Methods?
There’s no perfect answer here: every method has its pros and cons, from environmental impact to cost-effectiveness. However, degaussing might come out on top for some companies because it doesn’t require any expensive equipment or training – all you need is time (which most businesses have).
Where to dispose of hard drives?
If your company is looking for a professional hard drive disposal service to help them safely dispose of their old or outdated hard drives, IntelliShred’s data shredding service can help! We offer affordable rates and fast turnaround time, so you don’t have to worry about how long it’ll take us to get rid of all those pesky old hard drives taking up space on company shelves. Contact IntelliShred today for
