The Complete Guide to On-Site Hard Drive Shredding

By formatting the hard drive, not all of the data is lost. Computer specialists and IT professionals have been able to recover data even from a deleted hard drive. Technological advancements have enabled this. With on-site hard drive shredding, every privacy protection and security need can be met.

Shredding hard drives is important, including ensuring that they are unavailable to anyone. Information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, and tax information is included in these files. This needs to be eliminated securely. It is most efficient, secure, and straightforward to permanently destroy data by shredding it on-site. Neither people nor the environment is at risk, and there is no recoverable alternative.

On-site Hard Drive Shredding: Its Definition

Data destruction is conventionally achieved by shredding hard drives. Most computer service companies recommend this method. It was important to countless companies to protect their privacy and destroy their data. In order to ensure that all data will be wiped clean, on-site hard drive shredding is the best method.

Physically erasing and crashing hard drives is all about on-site hard drive shredding. Hard drive shredding on-site refers to deleting data ‘on-site.’ Some companies carry their shredding trucks to the client’s location to do the job on-site. Before leaving the client’s site, they do the extreme hard drive shredding right there in front of their eyes.

On-site Hard Drive Shredding: Its Benefits

For its good benefits, on-site hard drive shredding is often preferred by clients. Clients are assured that any hard drive containing confidential information has been disposed of. As a result, it has long been lost, smashed into tiny fragments, and destroyed.

1. Swift and Fast Destruction – Faster than a lightning bolt, this process occurs. It eliminates unnecessary actions.
2. Providing transparency – Clients can watch the whole destruction process from small storage devices to large ones. It’s remarkable how fast a hard drive can degrade into trash.
3. Keeping it simple – The whole process of destruction consists of about three steps:

• to call
• to provide the material
• watch as it is destroyed.

It can’t be easier than that.

On-site and Off-Site Hard Drive Shredding: The Comparison

When these two terms were introduced, many were puzzled. They can easily be differentiated, but picking the most meaningful benefits for their needs can be difficult. Decide on the type of electronic files and data, the budget, and the goals before choosing between the two.

On-site Hard Drive Shredding – If the main objective is to eliminate the data, and make sure there is no possibility of a data breach, then it is important that you witness the process. That way, identity thieves and competitors cannot access the data. All of this can be achieved by shredding on-site hard drives. However, this method involves computers and professionals. A hefty amount is charged for excellent service from professionals – a price to pay for the quality of the device. 

Off-site Hard Drive Shredding –Taking the hard drive disks to an industrial facility where the hard drive is destroyed. Here, clients weren’t able to see the process face-to-face. However, some agencies allow customers to record the entire process on video. There can never be a 100% guarantee that intruders or insiders will not compromise the data. However, this method is more economical than shredding hard drives on-site. It is also required that the chain of custody be established. The client must provide documentation showing the chain of custody. Data serial number reports of each drive and transfer of ownership documents. Furthermore, certificates of destruction must be issued to confirm that data destruction and security legislation are followed. When the client needs to destroy electronic files and data, this option is okay if they are on a budget. 

Shredded Hard Drives: What Happens To Them?

Following on-site hard drive shredding, it is important to consider what happens next. When shredded hard drives are not disposed of properly, the particles left behind harm the environment. In addition to handling electronic waste, the EPA tracks those who dispose of it improperly. Violations will be punished accordingly.

Reputable e-waste companies typically recycle shredded hard drive particles. Once it has been destroyed, the particles are taken to recycling plants, where they are filtered. Scraped hard drives contain copper, printed circuit boards, and plastic materials. These materials can be recycled safely. Non-ferrous metals and ferrous metals are excluded. These are all governed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Another Way To Destroy A Hard Drive

You can also erase data using other methods, such as those recommended by web users. However, are they secure? In the case of electronic files and data destruction, do they follow the laws and regulations regarding those matters such as:

• Software that overwrites or wipes the disk drives.

The market is flooded with such software programs. Therefore, it is important to choose a model that is compatible with the disk to be overwritten. It states that degaussing or destruction of operable drives before this step is safe. This technique requires a person familiar with it to assist since one overwriting is insufficient because it takes a great deal of time and is highly dependent on the size and age of the hard drive. 

• The degaussing process involves removing magnetic materials.

It is accomplished in several different ways. Using the first method, the hard drive is completely erased. Magnets are used because of their magnetic fields. An effective electromechanical pulse is used in the second technique. An enclosed chamber is immediately created that is practical for erasing data from disks. One should be aware of this because there are versions of tricky drives with different magnetic densities and inside densities. Degaussers and authorization lists for erasing magnetic gadgets labeled with NSA/CSS markings were evaluated. In addition to degaussing, there must also be education. Make sure to follow the instructions once you have bought a degausser.

• A conical metal punch or a similar tool is used for crushing drives in order to destroy them.

Crushing is suitable for devices with a low quantity of drives and is significantly less expensive. The procedure is in line with methods for basic destruction. Deforming the force sufficiently to endanger its operation is better than doing nothing. Deformed hard disks retain their data, unlike after degaussing. It is, however, incredibly difficult to recover.

• Utilizing a heavy-responsibility disintegrator to achieve disintegration or mechanical incineration.

Shredding is similar to disintegration, although the debris is much smaller and has additional damage. Objects are cut into smaller pieces until they are no longer recognizable and no longer recoverable. This is usually performed after shredding hard drives and metals. In addition to disintegrators, there are varieties with different capacities to accommodate various hard drives.