There are many techniques you could use to get rid of an old hard drive that doesn’t work anymore, or that you otherwise need to get rid of. You can wipe it clean with a degausser, or chuck it in the trash. You can even take a sledgehammer to it and hope for the best. But unless you have the entire thing completely, and professionally, destroyed, there is still the possibility of old sensitive information coming back to hurt you. In order to avoid that happening, you can utilize a hard drive shredder?
What is a Hard Drive Shredder?
As amazing as it might sound, a hard drive shredder is exactly what it sounds like. Just like a paper shredder, a hard drive shredder completely takes apart and destroys a hard drive. Of course, hard drives are just a little bit tougher than pieces of paper; so much more advanced machinery is required to shred one. Some shredders use hydraulic force to punch through the hard drive, destroying the magnetic information and shattering the entire piece of equipment. Others use massive amounts of force to shear the hard drive into a number of slices, completely destroying and taking apart the entire hard drive.
What can be Shredded?
Just about any piece of electronic equipment that might have sensitive information can be shredded. The hard drives out from computers, obviously, but also smartphones, blackberries, laptops, and any other electronic storage devices. The one thing to be extra careful about is to never shred a battery. Batteries, especially ones for advanced electronics, can be unstable and have the potential to explode under such stress.
Why Shred?
You simply cannot afford the risk of sensitive information being found. Whether compromising photos, bank account information, company records, or information about clients, just about any individual or company has something that they wouldn’t like falling into the wrong hands. Getting rid of anything that had access to such information without completely and thoroughly opens the door to having your information stolen. Other means of destruction hold the possibility of leaving behind some traces of information; only by completely taking apart the hard drive can you assure that information is gone forever.
If you are getting rid of a hard drive, you absolutely need to have it professionally destroyed. If you chuck it in a landfill, you are unnecessarily risking your privacy, and perhaps those of others. Make sure to secure the use of a professional hard drive shredder.
