The Importance of Hard Drive Destruction for Protecting Your Data
From sensitive customer information to confidential company data, hard drives are a goldmine for thieves looking to make a quick buck. Keeping sensitive information safe is a priority for both businesses and individuals.
However, deleting files and tossing out old, non-functioning hardware isn’t enough to keep data secure. The key to protecting sensitive data is physically destroying the drive’s internal magnetic disk.
Eliminates the Risk of Data Breach
When hard drives aren’t destroyed properly, they can become a goldmine for thieves. These devices may contain a company’s sensitive data, such as customer information, financial records, and website logins and passwords. If the right hands can recover these old hard drives, it can lead to devastating breaches that cause massive damage to your business.
Many companies store their end-of-life technology in locked cabinets or storage areas to prevent theft. However, this strategy must be revised to protect your organization from data breaches.
Blancco points out that when companies store their legacy equipment, hackers can easily access and use the information for fraud. The only way to eliminate this risk is by having a third party sanitize and destroy your end-of-life tech.
It is also important to note that more than simply erasing a hard drive with software or sending it through the Recycle Bin is required to ensure that data cannot be recovered. Professional hard drive destruction & shredding requires more than just destroying the platters; it is necessary to remove the circuit board.
Prevents Identity Theft
Many people don’t consider that their old computers can contain personal information about them and others. This information can be very valuable to identity thieves. For instance, routing numbers and bank information could be used to steal money. Or, social security numbers and passwords could be used to access online accounts.
Hackers can still recover files using software tools even when files are deleted. That’s why wiping a hard drive provides minimal protection. A recent investigation found that a set of used computers purchased at an auction contained sensitive information about thousands of people.
In addition to the direct financial damage of a data breach, companies that fail to protect their information face regulatory fines and a loss of customer trust. Engaging in professional hard drive destruction helps ensure that a company will stay out of trouble and protect its reputation. It also helps it comply with privacy laws that can impose millions of dollars in penalties on businesses that violate them.
Ensures Privacy
Many people mistakenly believe that deleting files from a hard drive is enough to ensure data privacy and protection. This is a dangerous misconception. Even deleted files can be recovered by highly skilled thieves. As a result, hiring a professional to safely destroy hard drives and other electronic devices before they are reused or recycled is important.
In addition to posing a privacy risk, improperly disposing of hard drives and other electronic devices could also cost businesses steep fines. The good news is that these fines are preventable by properly destroying all electronic devices.
Understanding the secure hard drive destruction process is important before you decide to do it yourself. The most effective method of destroying hard drives is through physical shredding. This involves running the hard drive through a machine that cuts it into small pieces. This renders the hard drive completely inoperable and makes retrieving any information impossible.
Prevents Loss
Hard drive destruction is a vital last line of defense as hackers become more adept at recovering sensitive information from deleted or formatted files. It renders any information stored on a decommissioned hard drive permanently irretrievable and ensures that the data can’t be recovered even if someone gets it. It might be tempting to take an old hard drive out to the backyard with a sledgehammer and smash it to bits, but this method is risky for many reasons.
It could also be illegal if done by an employer who’s required to store data about employees, clients, and patients. This makes it crucial for businesses to invest in a trusted hard drive destruction method that ensures confidential data isn’t leaked or breached when the company disposes of old computers.
The easiest way to protect your data is by wiping it completely before donating, selling or recycling the hard drive. However, if you want to be extra sure that your data can’t be recovered, consider removing the circuit board and physically destroying it.