Improperly disposing of equipment can lead to costly data breaches. Don’t risk the loss of sensitive customer information. Safeguard your data and save money by using an IT asset disposition (ITAD) company to degauss and shred your hard drives.
Our step-by-step process ensures your data remains safe and secure, minimizing the chances of an expensive and embarrassing data breach.
Step One: Secure Equipment Collection
The first step in preventing data breaches when disposing of end-of-life equipment is to hire a company that offers auditable and trackable IT inventory lists. At Data Slayer, for example, we tag all collected items with internal barcodes and remove any identifying information from the equipment’s exterior. This added layer of security protects the chain of custody and ensures clarity regarding what has been handed over to the ITAD company.
Step Two: Degaussing Hard Drives
Once inventory has been taken, it’s time to destroy the data. Before resorting to shredding, consider degaussing your hard drives. Degaussing changes the magnetic domain of the drive, effectively destroying the information it contains. For solid-state drives (SSDs), which cannot be degaussed, we offer microshredding data destruction and recycling services.
Step Three: Shredding Hard Drives
After degaussing larger magnetic hard drives, it’s imperative to shred them to further protect your data. Although degaussing renders data unusable, the degaussed hard drives visually appear the same as fully functioning ones. This poses a risk of accidentally recycling a drive with sensitive information. Shredding guarantees proper disposal of the equipment and renders all data irretrievable. For smaller devices like SSDs, our microshredder ensures their complete destruction.
Step Four: Choose a Certified ITAD Company for Recycling
By partnering with environmentally responsible ITAD companies like Data Slayer to recycle your unwanted and destroyed electronic equipment, you not only protect the environment but also prevent potential legal issues and data breaches. Opt for an R-2 certified company that is skilled in proper end-of-life equipment disposal. Data Slayer offers a certificate of destruction (COD) for audit purposes and peace of mind. With our services, you can trust that your hard drives and other equipment will be recycled in accordance with the circular economy principles.
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