Hard Drive Shredding

Hard drive shredding and data erasure are two of the most popular methods of data protection when removing redundant IT hardware. Shredding hard drives provides physical destruction of the component that houses data, making it a guaranteed method for protecting against data breaches. However, with the advancement of data erasure software, data sanitisation can now also reach the same level of security.  

What are Hard Drive Shredding Services?  

Companies around the world are held to stringent data security practices, even at end of life for their equipment. This means that many businesses choose to turn to hard drive shredding to protect against potential data breaches within their redundant equipment.  

Because of the size and durability of hard drives, physical shredding of the components is the easiest way to guarantee full data protection. However, not every business can house their own individual shredder!  

This is where hard drive shredding services can come into play. Suppliers can offer both offsite and on-site shredding depending on the restrictions that a company faces as well as the level of data risk.  

What is Data Sanitisation Software?  

In comparison, data erasure software does not require the physical destruction of the drive, meaning that the technology can be reused where possible. Data erasure software removes all information stored on the component, including all residual data, to keep companies compliant with data protection legislation.  

Drives are usually run through a dedicated server to permanently sanitise the component of any previous information.  

Data Erasure vs Hard Drive Shredding  

Traditionally, companies have opted for hard drive shredding due to the peace of mind of seeing the components physically destroyed. However, with the advancement of data sanitisation software, the potential of reuse now makes data erasure an appealing option.  

Similarly, both options can be undertaken onsite to ensure that no data leaves the company's facility where necessary. This means that both are viable options for businesses experiencing all levels of data risk.  

Whilst both guarantee data protection and destruction, data erasure is the more sustainable option of the two, and also the most cost-effective, as in many cases companies can sell their redundant hardware once data is erased, maximising their overall IT budget.  

However, for some businesses that must adhere to the strictest regulations in order to protect their information, physical hard drive destruction is the only option. In these cases, the environmental impact of the hardware can be handled through material recycling where possible.  

Data Erasure and Data Destruction Through Techbuyer 

As part of Techbuyer’s Buyback and Data Centre Services, we offer both hard drive shredding and data erasure, either onsite or offsite. We adhere to the highest industry standards and hold accreditations on data security and sustainability to ensure that you receive full peace of mind during your data destruction, whichever method you choose. Find out more about our services here.