Destroying a hard drive is more than just deleting files, smashing, and then tossing it out. To securely destroy a hard drive and its data, companies need a secure and reliable process that ensures data security and compliance.
Consider the consequences if someone with bad intentions got the information off your old hard drive or other devices such as memory chips, SSDs, phones, or thumb drives. Here are some important points to consider in how you can securely dispose of the data:
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Choose a reliable media destruction partner that ensures proper and trackable procedures are followed. A company with a good reputation will have procedures in place to ensure that they keep track of each hard drive’s serial number.
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ALWAYS ask for a Certificate of Destruction. Not every media destruction company will have the same range of services and media, but they should always provide you with detailed documentation of destruction, witness and/or recording.
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Without documentation, do not assume your hard drives were destroyed. The data is your responsibility. Never take someone’s word about destruction verification without the proper, detailed documentation.
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Chain of Custody practices, defined as “the chronological documentation or paper trail that records the sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of physical or electronic evidence”, prevents any issues that may arise from improper asset management/destruction.
At South Seas Data, we follow the best practices and industry guidelines to ensure security throughout the entire process. We ensure that chain of custody and provided documentation are accurate recordings of your assets as well as our process.
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