Any business that handles sensitive data knows about the need to keep it safe. Ultimately, that means not just secure storage, but also destruction when it is no longer needed or relevant. Unfortunately, too many businesses take the wrong steps in going about destroying that data. Here are three of the most common (and false) recommendations, along with a better option for your data security needs.
1) Deleting the Data
It might seem to be the most obvious option, but it’s also the most dangerous. Simply wiping your hard drive by deleting individual files or formatting it is not enough to reliably destroy its storage. In this case, it can easily be retrieved by someone experienced enough to know the process. Avoid this option at all times for enhanced data security.
2) Submerging in Water
It’s an electronic, so submerging your hard drive in water should be enough to do the trick, right? Absolutely not. A hard drive stores its data magnetically, and water will not do anything to change that. Whether you dunk it quickly or for extended amount of time, the data on it will remain easy to retrieve for experts.
3) Hammering the Hard Drive
Finally, the Office Space method. Take a hammer or baseball bat to it, and nothing bad can happen. Unfortunately, even this method is unreliable. If you don’t destroy the magnetic plate, data can easily be retrievable. You may or may not be able to do this using brute force. Taking that chance, when it comes to sensitive data, is not worth it.
The Right Way to Destroy Your Hard Drive
Given that the most intuitive options actually don’t work well, what should you do to destroy a hard drive? The easiest answer: get dedicated equipment. A reliable hard drive destroyer drills specifically into the magnetic plate to consistently and reliable erase the data and make it irretrievable. Phiston Technologies offers devices that are specifically designed to do just that, and approved by the NSA. To learn more about our hard drive destroyers, contact us.
