Hard drives are found in almost every electronic device we use today, from computers to smartphones and office copiers. In many cases, they’re absolutely essential to the way we do business. For some companies, they’ve replaced file cabinets, binders, phonebooks, and office libraries. With the amount of information we entrust to these devices, it’s still genuinely amazing that we take them for granted, especially when the time comes to discard them.
If a hard drive is carelessly thrown away, it – and all the information on it – could be easily retrieved, opening the door to identity theft, credit card fraud, and, in the case of company records, a serious data breach. Fortunately, there is a way to make sure that your information is forever inaccessible.
What is Hard Drive Shredding?
Hard drive destruction (also called shredding) is the process by which the physical components of a hard drive are destroyed. The exact method varies according to different service providers, but the general idea is that the disc that holds your data is either torn apart or crushed, making it impossible to reconstruct and, by extension, to read the information it once held. Once the destruction is complete, the remaining scraps of materials can be sent for recycling.
Hard Drive Destruction is Necessary for Your Security
To the casual observer, this amount of fuss over a single hard drive might seem like overkill. That’s what the delete button on the computer is for, right? Not quite.
Erasing the files on a hard drive might get rid of the easy accessibility of that information, but the electronic imprint of that data still remains. In skilled hands, a hard drive that’s had every file tossed in the recycling bin can be fully restored. If your company uses hard drives to store confidential data or client information, this is an obvious risk that presents no small amount of legal responsibility.
Why You Shouldn’t Attempt Hard Drive Destruction on Your Own
“Well,” you might think, “if that’s all that’s required, I’ll just grab a hammer and get to work!” Hold up – hard drive shredding requires precision and a bit of familiarity with what you’re doing. If you do it incorrectly, you could harm yourself and fail to destroy the data, leaving you with throbbing thumbs and exactly the same problem you had when you began.
A professional hard drive shredding service has both the knowledge and the equipment to safely and correctly destroy e-media. They’ll collect your items, shred them, and take care of recycling the pieces. From personal experience, many of our clients have found that it’s not just the safer option – it’s much more convenient and efficient, too.
The Legal Perks of Outsourcing to a Shredding Company
The final (and arguably most valuable) benefit of outsourcing to a hard drive shredding service is that you also effectively outsource your risk of liability for disposal. State and federal privacy regulations place strict mandates on the way that confidential or personally identifiable information (PII) is handled and thrown away.
A shredding company has already undergone the training and investment required to handle this information. After the destruction process is complete, you’ll be issued a Certificate of Destruction, which legally verifies that the items were destroyed and recycled.
As a certified member of the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID), Secure Shredding & Recycling is proud to provide businesses and residents throughout Louisiana with convenient, secure, and environmentally friendly hard drive destruction. For more information on our hard drive shredding service, give us a call at (225) 751-8535 or get in touch with us online.