There are numerous reasons why hard
drives should be destroyed. A few of these are:
- To prevent identity theft - to protect sensitive company or personnel
information.
- Old equipment is being replaced or has
failed and the hard drives
contain sensitive company, personnel or customer information.
- The data has reached the statute of
limitations and must be destroyed to avoid any possible litigation.
- For national security reasons.
- An emergency situation.
DESTRUCTION METHODS
Although “erasing” can enter into the
broad picture, we are talking about the total destruction of hard drives
and not the erasing of data.
How is total destruction of a hard drive
accomplished? One could:
-
Use a sledgehammer, a drill, an axe or flatten it by
pressure like a steamroller
-
Use degaussing (erasure) equipment
-
Use software
-
Use a shredder or a shredding service
-
Use a dedicated hard drive destroyer device
Surely there are other methods that can be used, but which is best and
the safest? Lets take a look at each method for comparison.
Using a sledgehammer, drill, axe or a steam roller, etc., can certainly attain total
destruction. It however poses a very real danger to personnel and
exposes a very real liability for whoever endorses this method. Common
sense would dictate these methods are not on anyone's recommended list.
Although degaussing equipment is commonly
used, higher capacity drives in the near future will require a stronger field strength to
degauss. In time the degausser purchased will not be sufficient to erase
all your hard drives. Also there is no physical evidence the data was
completely erased.
While software can be used, one would have
to assure that the data is in fact destroyed. This would not only
require a re-test but also checks on the system and personnel to avoid
any accidental or intended abuse. There is also the possibility that the
data could be recovered by “special” equipment. If there is an
obvious drive malfunction, software is not an option. .
Shredding services normally take
the hard drives out of the building for shredding either in a truck
or at a facility within driving distance. The problem is that the hard
drives leaving the building contain "live" data. For security
reasons this is not typically a good idea. This is also quite expensive.
Purchase of a shredder is very expensive and typically make a real
mess.
This brings us finally to a designated hard drive destroyer. A
portable unit that can be used onsite that provides clear physical
evidence that the
hard drive is destroyed and the data is un-recoverable.
Here comes the sales pitch:
BOW Industries wishes to introduce two
hard drive destroyer units that we feel would suite your requirements.
Made in the U.S.A. by BOW Industries. These are the Model MHDD Manual Operated Destroyer and the Model MX2
Motor & Manual Operated Destroyer. Our destroyers, whether fully
manual or motor driven, have one unique feature that is far above the
rest. Both the MHDD and the MX2 have the manual feature available at all
times. This allows
both to be fully operational in even an emergency situation when time is
of the essence and electricity may have been cut off.
Both cost less, weight less, take up less
space, and are very portable. They process drives in less than 10 seconds.
Both can be used by those who have an occasional need to destroy
hard drives and tough enough to be used in a high production environment.
All we ask, is take a serious look at our destroyers. We think you will
be pleased.