According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, having suffered a data breach, 60% of companies are likely to shut down within 6 months. To avoid such an eventuality, you need the services of a hard drive shredding company that works in compliance with the regulations laid down by organizations like HIPAA, FACTA, GLBA, and HITECH.
What Is Hard Drive Shredding
Hard drive shredding is where a mechanical device will physically destroy a hard drive in a way that it cannot ever be recovered. The platter is the part of the drive in which the data is stored, so this part must be completely severed during the process. This process will turn the hard drive into unrecognizable pieces. Shredding of a hard drive is important because it is the only real way of getting rid of data forever. Formatting a drive or using other destruction methods will not destroy data.
Why Do I Need Hard Drive Shredding?
It doesn’t matter how securely you think you erase a hard drive; the truth is, hard drive shredding is the only secure way to destroy data. Hackers that have the necessary tools and time can decipher the information stored on your hard drives.
Not using effective shredding methods can put your business at the risk of losing its reputation. Plus, there is the possibility of expensive lawsuits because of data breaches. You could also incur losses resulting from the cost of informing all entities about the leak in their personal information.
Before you dispose of the old equipment that your office has been using, make sure you take the necessary steps to destroy the hard drives in them. You might choose modalities like reformatting, erasing, degaussing, or wiping your hard drives to erase the data in them. These processes may be useful only if you want to reuse the devices in your business. If you intend to recycle them or send them to e-waste facilities, you must use hard drive shredding methods to sanitize the data storage media securely.
So, why do I need hard drive shredding? The answer is simple, you need to shred your hard drive to protect sensitive material that could fall into the hands of people who could use it to affect you or your customers negatively.
How To Choose A Hard Drive Shredding Company?
You must consider many things when choosing your shredding company. They must follow industry standards, as well as provide you with security at all times. Here are just some of the other things you should look for when choosing a shredding company.
Have All The Right Tools
Here are some of the devices they may use:
- Hard Drive Crushers – Hard drive shredding devices can be mechanical or automated hydraulic units. These devices combine conical steel punches with the extreme force of up to 7,500 pounds to punch the hard drives. The force works to mangle the drives and bend them beyond repair. Not only are the housings completely deformed but the platters are also smashed entirely. Higher capacity hard drive crushers can process between 500 to 3,500 hard drives per hour.
- Solid State Drive Crushers – Since Solid State Drives (SSDs) store data on memory chips, they need special devices for disposal. Expert data destruction agencies use shredding and crushing to eliminate SSDs that contain Personal identifying Information (PII) or Control Units (CUs). SSDs containing more sensitive data need complete disintegration of the memory chips to 2 mm or smaller particles for effective sanitization.
- Shearing Devices – Shearing devices have the capability of shredding hard drives into tiny shards using 40,000 pounds of crushing force. They are highly effective for the thorough hard drive disposal of drive platters, housings, and all electronic elements.
- Combination Shredders – Combination hard drive data shredders can process both standard HDDs and SSDs together. So, if you have a bunch of drives of both types, this device works perfectly.
Choose from Onsite and Offsite Hard Drive Shredding
Businesses can opt for onsite and offsite hard drive shredding options. Set up a weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly data disposal schedule depending on your company requirements.
- Onsite Hard Drive Shredding – In case, you opt for onsite hard drive disposal, the sanitization crew arrives on your premises in secure trucks that have the necessary equipment on board. Under your supervision, they destroy the hard drives into small particles. You’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction once the task is complete.
- Offsite Hard Drive Shredding – If you opt for the offsite disposal, we offer mobile hard drive destruction where a certified crew arrives in secure trucks with GPS tracking systems. They collect and seal all storage media in locked boxes and transport them under a chain of responsible supervision to their facility. Expert technicians take care of the drive disposal in closed labs that have recorded surveillance. All precautions are taken since e-waste can be toxic. Later, the e-waste is delivered to recycling plants. You’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction once the hard drive disposal is complete.
How Much Does Hard Drive Shredding Cost?
The cost of shredding a hard drive will vary depending on the type of service you choose and the number of drives you wish to destroy. You can contact us at 888-528-2451 or click here to fill out our online form. We will be able to give you the exact price of your shredding project.
Complete Assurance When Hiring Data Destruction
Rely on the services provided by Data Destruction to protect your company. We use hard drive shredders that are listed on the National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) Public Information Evaluated Products List for HDD destruction devices. In this way, we provide complete safety and accountability.
Professional teams offering you hard drive data wiping and disposal services provide you with complete assurance.
Here’s how:
- All crew goes through the necessary background checks before hiring. Certified companies also verify employment history and conduct initial and annual criminal record checks at unexpected times in the year. They may also run drug screenings from time to time.
- All crew reports for work in uniforms with photo identification. Their tags display their name, company designation, and company logo.
- Each technician is held accountable for the assigned task.
- You’ll receive regular updates on the status of the data destruction procedures. Once the processes are complete, you’ll receive a final task completion sheet and Certificate of Destruction. This procedure helps you keep track of the exact dates of the hard drive shredding and delivery to recycling plants.
- On your request, the data destruction service might keep a record of the serial number of each hard drive they dispose of. This procedure ensures added security and compliance with HIPAA, FACTA, GLBA, and HITECH regulations. In case there is an issue with data breaches, the serial number record can provide proof of destruction and help indemnify your business.
- Once the hard drives are reduced to small shards, as per federal and state regulations, they are dispatched to electronics and metal recycling facilities. These partners melt the devices down to their alloy state for reuse.
Check out our blog to find out more about how to securely wipe a hard drive.