Don’t just delete it…DESTROY IT.
Sooner or later your computer media will need to be retired. Because it likely contains sensitive data you’re faced with the dilemma of somehow destroying this information. Contrary to popular belief simply deleting data or formatting your hard drive doesn’t mean the information is gone.
When MIT conducted a study to test this theory they purchased 158 used hard drives from various merchants. Only 12 of the 158 drives were erased in such a way that their data couldn’t be recovered. Even though many of the remaining 146 drives had been reformatted countless medical records, legal files, and social security numbers were recovered off them.
The three most common sanitizing methods for computer media are destruction, degaussing and overwriting. While degaussing and overwriting are acceptable options, destruction is arguably the better solution. With today’s laws imposing stiff penalties for compromising private information anything short of knowing your hard drives have been shredded into tiny pieces may keep you up at night.
Working with the data professionals at Archive Logistics you’ll ensure your media is secure from the data center to the shredder with a documented Chain-of Custody. Fill in the form on the right or call us today so we can discuss your media destruction needs.