What Are The Various Types Of Data Destruction, and Which Fits Your Needs?

The objective of destroying data is to render it unreadable regardless of the type of electronic media on which it was once stored. The process of data destruction also includes ensuring that the deleted information cannot be recovered and utilized for an illegal purpose.

Data destruction makes it unreadable by an operating system or application. Simply removing a file is inadequate. File deleted from an electronic device may no longer be visible, but the information is still preserved on the hard drive or memory chip. Data destruction involves overwriting the present data with random data until it is no longer retrievable, or physically destroying the electronic media.

Why Data Destruction Is Important

Today, business firms of all sizes rely on electronic media for their most vital business operations. Therefore, it is imperative that all the data generated by this equipment be well protected. It must be securely destroyed at the end of its lifespan, as you may have important and confidential information that you like to keep to yourself. Any company that operates on a global scale has legal requirements for destroying data, as different regions and countries may have varying legal obligations regarding data destruction.

The necessity of eradicating all data is evident. According to some research, up to 10% of all used hard drives sold online still contain sensitive information. Individuals are not the only ones that fail to delete all data.

Factors to Consider Prior to Data Destruction

Before deciding how to dispose of obsolete data, it is crucial for any firm to examine a number of essential criteria.

Time: Does the organization routinely perform this task, or has it accumulated old data storage equipment to perform a huge volume at once? Understanding the amount of time you are willing to devote to data destruction can influence the method to use for destroying data.

Cost: Can your company shoulder the cost of disposing of outdated equipment? Or is it interested in repurposing obsolete electronic media for new applications? The answer to this question will determine which method of destruction your company will use.

Validation and certification: Ensure that the technique you select allows you to demonstrate that you have complied with all applicable data destruction standards and requirements.

Your company can select an appropriate method for destroying obsolete data once you have the answers to the above questions.

What Are The Various Methods Of Data Destruction?

There are numerous methods for erasing data.

Delete/Reformat

Deleting or erasing data by reformatting a CD does not delete or erase the data. It merely replaces the current file system with a brand-new one. The data remains on the device’s hard drive or memory chip. This method is somewhat inefficient and ineffective.

Wipe

Data wiping is the process of erasing data from an electronic medium so that it cannot be read. Typically, data wiping is performed by attaching media to bulk wiping equipment physically. It is also possible internally by booting a PC from a network or Disk. This method enables the reusability of any media wiped in this manner without the loss of storage capacity.

Erasing data can take a significant amount of time, potentially an entire day for a single device. This method may be advantageous for an individual, but not for a business owner who needs to delete data from multiple devices.

Overwriting Data

Overwriting is probably the most popular method of erasing data. This method can be time-consuming and is only effective if the medium being overwritten has not been damaged and data can still be written to it. Additionally, no security protection is provided throughout the overwriting operation. No hard drive with complex storage management components supports overwriting. You may need a license for each piece of media that is being replaced if you are required by law to overwrite a device. Overwriting data is not reliable.

Erasure

Erasure is another term for overwriting. Erasure should be thorough and erase all data saved on a hard drive. A certificate of destruction should be provided to demonstrate that the data on an electronic device has been successfully wiped. Erasure is a good option for enterprises that have bought equipment off-lease, such as enterprise data centers, desktops, and laptops, or if you want to redeploy them to store alternative materials or reuse hard drives.

Degaussing

Degaussing eliminates computer data by disrupting the magnetic field of electronic media using a powerful magnet. The data is lost due to the magnetic field’s disturbance. Degaussing can destroy sensitive data or a huge volume of information stored in a device rapidly and effectively.

Unfortunately, it has 2 disadvantages:

1. The hard drive becomes inoperable when a piece of electrical equipment is demagnetized. Degaussing destroys the hard drive’s connecting equipment. This is not recommended if you wish to reuse an electrical digital device such as a laptop, computer, or mobile phone.
2. There is no way to determine if all data has been deleted because the hard drive becomes useless. The only way to verify data erasure, in this instance, is by using an electron microscope. Checking in this manner is costly and impractical unless you are erasing highly sensitive data.

Secure Data Destruction

Physical destruction

Physical destruction is an efficient method for companies and organizations of all sizes to dispose of data. One of the benefits of physical destruction is that it provides the highest possibility that data has been physically deleted.

It can be expensive, though, because the electronic gadget is also destroyed. A difficulty can also arise if an organization has a green and sustainable recycling program for obsolete electronic media.

Shredding

Shredding is another form of physical destruction. It may be the most secure and cost-effective method for destroying electronic data on media containing defunct hard drives or solid-state drives. Optical drives, cellphones, tablets, motherboards, thumb drives, and credit card swipe devices, to mention a few, also benefit from their effectiveness.

Shredding is an excellent method if you have a large data business center or a significant stockpile of outdated hard drives and media that you wish to destroy. Electronic devices are crushed into fragments smaller than 2 millimeters in size through shredding. Shredding should be your first option if you work in a high-security setting with high-security data, as it ensures that all information is destroyed.

1 Green Planet can handle your data destruction and e-waste recycling needs. Call us now to set a schedule for pickup at our location areas.