Data destruction services are vital for quite a number of reasons one being the fact that technology changes over time. But how is this even connected to the issue of data destruction? Most companies have tens if not hundreds of hard disks in which they store data. Hard drives that were relevant 10 years ago may not be relevant today. Throwing such hard drives in a dump site is definitely not a good idea because someone may collect them and access the sensitive data contained therein. The same applies to stockpiling them in a room somewhere.

It needs to be understood that regardless of how useless a hard drive or any other storage media appears to be, with the right tools, one can still recover data from them. When this happens to a company, hospital or bank, sensitive data such as customer details, business strategies, patient records and credit information might end up falling in the wrong hands. Such an occurrence is likely to have very dire repercussions, for example, in a case where credit details are accessed, a number of consumers might end up losing money. Obviously all those affected will want answers and may even choose to take legal action against the financial institution in question.

How Data Destruction Services Work

Data destruction is performed by recycling companies as they possess the necessary expertise to do a comprehensive job. The idea here is simple; destroy each and every storage media to the point that it is completely impossible to recover even a single bit of data from them. One of the most common ways in which this is achieved is through crushing. Some might argue that this is something that the average person can do without too much trouble. The reality, however, is that it is possible to retrieve data from a hard drive that is mangled. In order to eliminate this possibility, this undertaking should be left to professionals who understand exactly what level of destruction is necessary to get the job done.

Data Destruction Services: Responsible Disposal

Obviously after a company has had all its stockpiles of storage media destroyed, there is no need to have the remaining junk laying around, taking up space. It is the job of the recycling company to collect whatever is left behind and dispose of it in a responsible manner. A good company does not just take the junk to a dumpsite instead it ensures that pretty much every item is recycled because this is the best option for the environment.

Data Destruction Services: Crushing Not the Only Solution

While crushing is one of the surest ways of rendering storage media useless and the data therein unrecoverable; it is not the only way. Some recycling companies use a procedure referred to as degaussing which simply means taking away an item’s magnetic properties (in this case magnetic hard drives). This is done by use of a powerful magnetic field. Depending on specific client needs, data destruction services may either be provided on-site or off-site; the former is the most ideal option as it ensures that no sensitive data leaves the company’s premises.