Today’s technological advances are presenting a wide variety of problems that must be solved. From implementing the best software applications to buying the most recent computer hardware, businesses all over the world are constantly making transitions to accommodate the latest technology. Keeping up-to-date with every innovation is becoming more challenging every day since virtually every area of business has been impacted. The changes in technology have not only changed how information is produced but it also impacts how data is discarded. 
Prior to computers, discarding confidential information involved destroying huge amounts of hard copy paper files by shredding the information onsite or employing a local shredding company to discard the information on their premises. Today, businesses have transitioned from large volumes of paper files to computer hard drives. As a result, the process for destroying the company’s confidential data has also changed to physically destroying computer hard drives so that unauthorized individuals and entities will not have access to the information. Listed below are three ways you can go about hard drive destruction.
Industrial Shredders
An industrial shredder is an excellent option for companies who stockpile hard drives in a central location. Keeping this data under lock and key is not enough security, especially when data thieves may be aware of the company’s procedures. Therefore, it’s important for these items to be destroyed in a manner that tracks the details. For instance, some companies may record information about specific drives and the discard date.
Employing a local industrial shredder is one of the best ways to completely destroy the data. With this method, small and large companies can benefit from relentless machines that sink hundreds of gigabytes into oblivion. This solution provides peace of mind for both individuals and large companies.
Binary Wipes
Soft destruction is used by the U.S. Department of Defense. This method has many advantages over physical destruction since it allows the company to choose an environmentally friendly alternative. It also allows the company to save money on hardware cost because they can reuse the hard drive again. With a soft destruction method, also known as a binary wipe, specialists will overwrite the information with random characters and zeros in index locations.
Degaussing and Hard Drive Destruction
Some companies may choose to use the degaussing method when they want to destroy their hard drives. Even though this alternative is simple, it is a permanent way of destroying all of the data that is contained on the drive. By using the degaussing method, the company and its representatives will not be concerned about privileged information getting into the wrong hands since the degaussing process will render the drive inoperable. If the company decides to reuse the drive again, they will have to solicit assistance from the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s role in the restoration process is to replace the drive’s critical parts.
Destroying a hard drive does not have to be a difficult process but it must be done properly. While there are many different ways to destroy these drives, the main goal in these processes is to destroy the data permanently.
