Two Reliable Methods To A Secure Data Destruction

By Andrew Scott

Today, the mode of work has changed from keeping information in hard from to soft form. Every kind of business needs a secure network to keep its data safe. Firms spend millions of dollars on IT services to maintain their records on hard disk. Nowadays, cloud computing is also being used for preservation of sensitive files instead of desktops. But, failure to comply with the requirements of security can lead to very serious repercussions for the business. Breaches of privacy, data protection, compliance issues and additional costs occurs due to improper data destruction services.

Here comes the great importance of protected hard drive disposal services. Not all the companies opt for cloud computing, which itself is also not a highly secure facility either. Majority of the online firms utilize the common source of record keeping, i.e. on PCs. Keeping the online files intact is one thing, but having to get rid of the information which is no more needed is another. Therefore, companies look for hiring the services of experts in the field of data disposal services without breaches.

Following are the two reliable methods to accomplish secure data destruction:

Overwriting

One method of secure hard drive disposal includes is to overwrite all the information present on hard disk with new one. It is considered to be a very economical mode of data destruction. All you have to do is get an overwriting software that can be applied on part or entire hard drive. If you have already addressed all the regions of data storage, then you just require a single pass for successful removal of stored files. You could configure the overwriting application to select specific files, free space or partitions present in hard drive. All the remnants of data are positively deleted after overwriting in order to ensure complete security.

Be that as it may, the process of replacing information on entire disk is a lengthy process to achieve. It could also not achieve removal of files present on host-protected folders. The process could be victim to data theft during the overwriting procedure due to changes in parameters. Secure hard drive disposal can only be accomplish while it is still in writable condition and not damage in any way.

Degaussing

Unlike overwriting which is done by a software, degaussing involved the usage of a specific device known as Degausser. Hard Drive Disposal and other services highly recommend this method of data destruction. Degaussing is actually the practice of reducing magnetic field of a hard disk. By doing so, it can eliminate all files present on storage medium like floppy disk, CD, DVD, or any other kind of hard drive. One of the major advantages of this method is that it completely removes the information making it impossible to recover data.

However, highly effective degausser devices can be very costly to purchase. They are also extremely heavy to maintain. It can also cause malfunction of nearby vulnerable instruments due to its strong electromagnetic fields. In addition to that, hard drives can get permanent damage in the process.

To sum up, secure data destruction for a large sized online company can be a very tricky task to achieve. Overwriting and Degaussing are more trustworthy means of achieving that. Though, one can also look up for some other methods as well. It depends on the nature of one`s needs and financial resources. If you have a small to mid-size firm, then you could opt for Overwriting. On the other hand, if you have got a large company, Degaussing would be the most suitable choice.