Solid State Drives (SSDs) hold massive amounts of data and can be an alternative to the traditional hard disk drive. SSDs store data on memory chips rather than storing information on spinning platters. While they are more efficient for companies since they have no moving parts, are smaller, last longer, and consume less energy, they pose some risks when it comes to destroying the data on solid state drives.

You may be wondering, “Can I degauss an SSD?” Based on our experience, we’ve learned how to best destroy SSDs. One of our standards in a traditional data destruction process is degaussing, which does not work on SSDs. Degaussing is the best practice for traditional hard drives since it can reduce and eliminate information with magnets. A degaussed HD looks the same as one that hasn’t been degaussed, so we recommend shredding them too.

Shred Size is Key to Proper Destruction 

Most standard industrial shredders shred to 1-inch particles, which is still too large when it comes to the proper destruction of SSDs. SSD chips are typically 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches in size and can slip through the hammers of your standard hard drive shredder. The memory chips need to be broken into a particle size of less than ½ inch. 

At Securis, we have a proprietarily engineered master microshredder that can turn your SSDs into 2mm e-crumbs, as recommended by the NSA. This is significantly smaller than the minimum size of ½ inch. Our microshredder pulverizes SSDs, flash drives, and other small devices like cell phone SIM cards to best keep your information secure. The shred width is less than that of a spaghetti noodle. 

SSDs often hold very sensitive data such as corporate financial information, medical records, and state secrets. 2mm is the necessary size for the physical destruction of these devices to prevent any data recovery. This size was determined after analysts at the NSA examined the shreds to make sure they were inaccessible. 

Oftentimes, our clients need a certificate of destruction to prove that these pieces were properly destroyed, and we provide that for them. In fact, the turn-around time that clients receive Securis’ inventory reports and certificate of destruction is a large part of what sets us above the competition. 

Our microshredder has the ability to come to you on-site. This helps prevent any chain of custody issues that your company may face when it comes to data or media destruction. We have the ability to shred thousands of pounds of metals and plastics per hour. If you need to see your electronic equipment physically destroyed, this is a great solution for you!

The ability the microshredder has to render any data unusable is key for data destruction in many companies and government agencies. These can often easily be removed from a laptop or computer          If that’s the case and the rest of the equipment is not salvageable, we ensure total recycling of those products. Securis is dedicated to recycling and is committed to never sending anything to landfills. 

Securis understands how important it is to properly destroy sensitive data, and this is one of our top priorities. At Securis, we provide you with an auditable, trackable, link to inventory lists or similar and indisputable inventory record of each SSD that is destroyed. This includes a data destruction certificate that proves your data was properly destroyed.

As technology continues to evolve, our destruction and security methods need to keep up. This is why we are passionate about giving our customers peace of mind when it comes to their data security with proper solid state drive destruction.