Hard Drive Destruction Services for Data Security
Posted on: 1 February 2021
Most organisations often face challenges when destroying hard drives. Therefore, experts advise against making a hard drive destruction project a DIY exercise because it exposes data to risk. Furthermore, many DIY enthusiasts might not adhere to environmental laws regarding the safe disposal of electronics, such as hard drives, leaving an organisation susceptible to lawsuits and hefty fines. Therefore, shrewd institutions engage hard drive destruction experts for various reasons, including safety and security of data, cost-effectiveness, and time management. For instance, if you have sensitive information stored in decommissioned hard drives, you can engage a mobile shredding unit. Here is what beginners should know about hard drive destruction services.
Shredding -- One primary concern with destroying decommissioned hard drives is ensuring that the storage is destroyed and no data can be retrieved. Shredding is one of the safest methods of destroying hard drives. A shredder uses a sharp cutting mechanism enclosed in a chamber with ball mill grinders, which cut and crush a hard drive into tiny pieces that cannot be reconstructed. The process ensures compliance with Australian laws while effectively destroying any data stored in hard drives.
Chain of Custody -- A proper chain of custody is integral in guaranteeing that a hard drive destruction exercise is conducted safely and securely in compliance with data privacy laws. A chain of custody helps keep track of the entire destruction and disposal process to protect sensitive organisational information. An experienced data destruction professional knows the steps to follow to ensure visibility and transparency. A chain of custody offers an auditable paper trail showing who handled hard drives when, as well as how the drives were destroyed and disposed of. Therefore, organisations should work with bonded and certified data destruction service providers to minimise the risk of public relations, financial, and legal disasters. One way of ensuring a proper chain of custody is securing hard drives in tamper-proof containers. Also, vehicles transporting hard drives must have GPS tracking devices for constant monitoring.
Certificate of Destruction -- A certificate of destruction is an essential part of a chain of custody. Without a legal document, it might be challenging to prove that hard drives were destroyed entirely. Therefore, your data destruction service provider must provide proof of destruction, which is a certificate that contains an itemised report of destroyed hard drives and their serial numbers. Also, a certificate of destruction is a crucial document during privacy and security audits of an organisation.
To learn more, contact a data destruction company.
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