Hard drive destruction is the most fundamental step in every organization’s working infrastructure because of its associated benefits. In recent years, data has become the top requirement to drive different processes, including marketing, manufacturing, and following new trends. That’s why companies have explored new ways of data extraction and have their hands on larger amounts to utilize them in their operations for maximum perks. However, it is crucial to destroy the drives in which it is stored to avoid negative consequences.
We have developed this guide to help you know about the importance and best practices of hard drive destruction.
The Importance of Hard Drive Destruction
The following points will highlight the importance of hard drive destruction in this modern and highly-paced world.
1 – Data Security and Privacy
Technological advancements have not only opened the door to progress but also raised the risk of data breaches because of the development of incredible tools. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the data from breaching activities. Otherwise, it will pose a question mark to the credibility and authenticity of your company. Hard drives often contain sensory information regarding your brand or also about your customers. So, it is necessary to demolish them at the end of the project to ensure that no one can access them to do unnecessary activities.
2 – Compliance with Regulations
GDPR compliance regarding data safety and security has also been strengthened because of the potential risk explained in the previous section. Moreover, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has mandated strict data protection measures. As a result, you must follow them to protect users’ information and prevent it from getting into the hands of unauthorized persons. For this purpose, hard drive destruction has gained more importance. It only mitigates the risk but also helps you comply with the latest rules and regulations, protecting your company against severe legal repercussions.
3 – Protection Against Identity Theft
With the rise in competition, companies are striving hard to get over their competitors and pocket maximum marketing benefits by staying ahead of them. Thus, they are extracting and storing the data at an immense pace. Consequently, it has raised the risk of identity theft. When you don’t destroy the hard drives after their activities are over, they may fall into wrong hands, resulting in the leakage of all the information even related to your company. The thieves can use this personal data to commit fraud and other malicious activities. It will cause you to lose your credibility as well as data to survive again.
Read Also: Computer Repair Tips to Keep Your Device Running Smoothly
Best Practices for Hard Drive Destruction
After understanding the importance of hard drive destruction, it’s time to delve into the best practices that must be followed to accomplish this task effectively and perfectly.
1 – Data Backups and Verification
Before hard drive destruction, you must consider backing up essential data and verifying if it contains any critical information about business functioning. This precaution helps you to ensure that no critical data is lost during the destruction process. Moreover, it enables you to work correctly according to the importance of data at a particular time. If you need to back up some data, do it accurately and precisely to avoid any negative impacts in the near future, as some incidents are present where companies have lost their basic information during hard drive destruction.
2 – Use Data Erasure Software
Data erasure software is another secure and efficient method for wiping data from hard drives. Generally, these are highly specific tools that are designed on destruction principles to erase all the information present in a device. Moreover, it is a cost-effective strategy as you can use the same hard drive again for the next project. However, if you don’t want the drive again, you can command the software to overwrite the data with random files and information. Consequently, it becomes impossible to identify the original copies. The most common software options on the market are (Darik’s Boot and Nuke), Blancco, and Secure Erase.
3 – Physical Destruction
Physical destruction is a highly recommended hard drive destruction method as it ensures the complete breakdown of the device physically. So you can ensure that no data can be retrieved. Nevertheless, you can perform this activity in a variety of ways. Some of them are highly destructive, spoiling the environment. On the other hand, some don’t ensure complete data breakdown. So, we have enlisted only the top methods in the under-section.
a. Shredding
Hard drive shredding is the best method to erase all the data. It involves utilizing special machinery to break down the drive physically. You will get shredded pieces of the drive that are fairly easy to discard. The biggest advantage of this process is that it renders the information entirely inoperable and irrecoverable.
b. Degaussing
Another mighty effective hard drive destruction method is degaussing. It is a relatively new term to some users, but you can opt for this method for its extensive advantages. In this process, you expose the hard drive to a strong magnetic field that eliminates all the information stored in magnetic form. Nevertheless, it is essential to note that this strategy is only effective for HDDs, not for SSDs.
c. Crushing
Just like shredding, crushing guarantees the complete breakdown of the hard drive into smaller pieces. With the help of a hydraulic press or crusher, you can deform the drive to change its physical structure. This method is mighty effective for both HDDs and SSDs.
Final Verdicts
The importance of hard drive destruction cannot be neglected because of their associated advantages in data security. This strategy ensures you comply with the latest data security and privacy regulations. Also, you can maintain your credibility and trust with clients by working in the same and protected environment. However, certain effective destruction practices are effective to sustain your position in the market. Data-erasing software and physical destructions are the best methods to perform this operation. You must do them precisely and accurately to ensure destroyed data is no longer operable.