How To Properly Destroy A Hard Drive To Protect Your Data

Document shredding is important for any business, especially to prevent identity and information theft. Document destruction does not just include paper; it is also important to destroy hard drives.

What is the risk of not destroying a hard drive?

The dangers of identity theft are more relevant than ever and thieves are finding more ways to steal sensitive information. It’s not only active computers that are threatened. Any old computer that isn’t in use anymore can also be a danger. Simply tossing out your old equipment is a huge risk, as the hard drive is still intact and can be taken.

These components contain highly sensitive information such as credit card numbers, bank records, and emails. It is especially important for facilities that deal with personal information, like hospitals and law firms, to take appropriate action when destroying computers.

How NOT to destroy a hard drive

A quick search on the internet will give you all kinds of results for the best way to destroy a hard drive. Smashing it with a hammer, melting it, dropping it in acid, and tossing it into a lake are a few of the more interesting methods you may see. It’s true that these methods will do some serious damage, but they may not work completely. Also, some of them are not safe for the environment and do not meet legal standards.

The best option for hard drive destruction is to let a qualified shredding company do the work for you. They will know exactly how to dispose of the equipment, which protects the sensitive information on it from thieves.

How to destroy a hard drive the right way

The guaranteed way to safely destroy a hard drive is to damage it beyond recognition. To be truly destroyed, there must be no way of ever putting something back together. You can hire a shredding company to dispose of your hard drives, CDs, flash drives, and other electronic storage devices. It will give you peace of mind knowing that your information will be kept secure throughout the entire process. Shredding companies will also provide you with a proof of destruction, which is vital for compliance and audit standards.

When you choose to hire a shredding company, there are a few specific things you should look for. Make sure your chosen company offers the following.

A secure process: You want your sensitive data (and that of your clients or patients) to be as safe as possible. Make sure the shredding company will transport your devices in tamper-proof containers in a locked vehicle. There should be close surveillance from start to finish.

An industrial-grade shredder: It takes more than a paper shredder to destroy a hard drive or CD. Make sure the company you choose has the right tools for the job. Your hard drive should be broken beyond recognition and this can be easily done with an industrial-grade shredding machine.

Proper disposal methods: The EPA has waste standards that need to be met. Make sure your hard drive and storage devices are recycled with a zero-landfill guarantee.

Certification and compliance: Make sure that the shredding company is NAID AAA certified and that they are compliant with government regulations. This includes HIPAA, HITECH, FERPA, PCI DSS, FACTA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley regulations.

Qualified staff: Check that all employees are professionally trained and bonded and that they have undergone background checks. They should be required to sign non-disclosure agreements and take part in ongoing security training as well.

Proof of destruction: When the job is done, you should receive a proof of destruction certificate. An itemized report of the hard drives’ serial numbers should also be given to you.

Secure hard drive destruction in Amarillo, TexasM

Do you have hard drives that you need to destroy in a safe and secure manner? UCI Shredding has Data Destruction Services that you can trust, including hard drive shredding. We take pride in our security and can handle any sized shredding job. UCI Shredding is NAID AAA certified and compliant with recycling standards. Contact us at (806) 372-7722 or Send Us an Email to find out more about how we can help your business.