Everything You Need To Know About Hard Drive Destruction

You may know that it’s crucial to remove information from hard drives before disposing of them- but do you know the ins and outs of what that means? At Securis, we have the answers. 

What’s the Best Way to Destroy a Hard Drive?

There are two common ways to destroy hard drives and render the confidential information that remains on them inaccessible: degaussing and shredding.

Degaussing Hard Drives

degaussing

Degaussing hard drives can be the first (or only) step in data destruction. The degaussing process erases data, changing the magnetic domain in which data is stored. Using magnets, it scrambles stored information so it can not be retrieved. Keep in mind that degaussing does not work for solid state drives (SSDs). A previous Securis article contains information on destroying SSDs. 

Shredding Hard Drives

hard drive shredding

Shredding hard drives ensures that all information is totally destroyed and rendered unusable. By completing this as a stand-alone service or following degaussing, you can be positive that your confidential information has been completely destroyed. Not only does this guarantee total data destruction, but you can be sure that degaussed hard drives will not be confused with hard drives that still have data on them. 

Solid state drives are destroyed by microshredders so they do not slip through the cracks in a regular hard drive shredder.

Can Information be Retrieved from a Shredded Hard Drive?

There is no way to retrieve information from a shredded hard drive if the correct shredding process is followed. By grinding and shredding, materials like magnetic fields and magnetic tapes can no longer be put back together in order to recover information. 

How Much Does it Cost to Shred a Hard Drive? 

For residential customers, our Virginia locations hold monthly drop-off events where hard drives can be shredded for $5 each or $10 if they are still inside a computer. 

For our corporate customers, we know that data security is vital, so we provide various hard drive shredding services. If chain of custody issues are of concern, we can bring our mobile shredding truck on-site for supervised destruction. 

We also offer off-site shredding to those who need assurance that their assets will be destroyed appropriately but need the equipment out of their office or space quickly. With either service, Securis will provide a certificate of destruction for reporting purposes. Prices vary depending on the services needed. 

 

Data Privacy Day 2023

Did you know January 28th is Data Privacy Day? While the rest of the world may be celebrating, at Securis,  every day is Data Privacy Day. The Securis mission is to securely repurpose electronics. In order to do so, all data that remains on end-of-life computers, laptops, servers, and more must be completely destroyed. Businesses, governments, and individuals are all at risk of having their confidential data compromised without a secure, end-to-end data destruction process in place.  

Much of the discussion around data privacy revolves around sharing information online. While it is important to keep in mind, it’s also important to know that your physical electronics store sensitive data. 

Everybody should be aware that they have the power to take ownership of their personal information and digital identities. The National Cybersecurity Alliance encourages consumers to learn about what information they are sharing online. Let’s take that one step further and make sure we know what information we are storing on our phones and computers. 

According to the Pew Research Center, 81 percent of Americans believe they have very little to no control over the data that’s collected by businesses, and 78 percent are very concerned about how the data is used when it is collected. Businesses should be concerned about their employees’ and customers’ information when they are disposing of their end-of-life equipment. 

We know that customers have had their information compromised at a multitude of organizations like Morgan Stanley, T-Mobile, PayPal, and many more. Are you doing what you can to keep your customers safe? If you’d like to ensure that your information is safe when it’s time to discard old technology, be sure to learn about our federally compliant data destruction process

The First Town Hall of 2023

On January 13, 2023, we held the first town hall of the year! All of our employees met to enjoy a lunch prepared by VP of Finance Tim Anastasi and Compliance Specialist Koreen Brown. 

These quarterly meetings allow us to be reminded of our core values, meet new co-workers, recognize employee anniversaries, and ensure everyone is on the same page. 

The most exciting part of this gathering is finding out who the employee of the quarter is. This month, Goldie was recognized for his exemplary display of this quarter’s core value which was “Hungry.” Congratulations, Goldie! 

Leading up to the town hall, each team meets to discuss personal and group goals. This includes company-wide initiatives, like moving to our new warehouse this spring!

Securis: Past, Present and Future of ITAD

It’s 2023, and at Securis, we’re looking forward to serving you with the best data destruction and end-of-life equipment recycling services in the universe (we have big ambitions)! Today, we highlight the milestones and stepping stones that have taken us to where we are. We’ll also give you a preview of the future as we think about the past, present, and future of ITAD (Information Technology Asset Destruction).

Some moments blend with others, are blurry or aren’t listed in the timeline below. That doesn’t mean they don’t hold monumental significance in Securis’ and our individual growth.

We thank each and every employee, vendor, partner, and customer – past, present, and future. We wouldn’t be here without you.

2023

We’re expanding! The new facility has 67,000 square feet. Can you imagine how much more data we can destroy and how much equipment we’ll keep out of landfills? It’s exciting, to say the least! It’s HUGE!

2022

  • We turned 22 years old and have two tractors, six trucks, two end dumps, and 11 trailers. 
  • 72 employees, many of whom attended the High Tech Prayer Breakfast for the third year.
  • 2023 will be the 17th year of partnering with a local high school to provide children in the special education program with an opportunity to get hands-on work experience.

2020 2021

  • Securis added a conveyor belt and bulb crusher to improve efficiency and service capabilities.
  • Expanded operations to the warehouse next door for better access and team productivity.
  • In November 2020, long-term employee Dan Mattock celebrated 10 years with Securis. We were impressed with six trucks and 35,000 warehouse space at that time. We had 45 employees compared to today’s 72.

2018 – 2019

  • Partnered with Service Source to provide additional employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

  • Added a second warehouse, expanding our facilities from 12,000 to 22,000 square feet.
  • Our customers were introduced to our IT Asset Value Recovery Program. This rebate system allows Securis to provide value from end-of-life equipment and scrap. They choose to use the credit for an upcoming project, or we’ll write them a check.
  • Accompanied Justice & Mercy to The Amazon to help them provide people in remote villages with health and dental care while spreading the love of Jesus.

2017 

  • Sponsored a young woman in Moldova. Victoria, a 16-year-old who loves the color yellow, is at risk. In Moldova, the government’s institutional care of abandoned and orphaned children only lasts until they turn 16. At that time, without support, they’d be on their own with nowhere to stay and no family. Read more about giving back and being of service here.

2014-2016

  • Began offering franchise opportunities along the east coast. 
  • Considered partnering with Nascar Driver Jeff Maupin to sponsor his Nascar Truck. We couldn’t justify the project at the time, but the idea was fun to think about (it would have been really cool – think about the Securis-branded earplugs we could have given away).

2013

  • Added microshredding technology to our service portfolio, allowing for data destruction that goes beyond traditional shredding and pulverizes devices into 2MM e-crumbs.
  • Advanced cloud-based mobile inventory tracking system and began the beta rollouts of our proprietary customer inventory portal.

2012

  • Rebranded the company from PC Recycler to Securis, focusing on ultra-secure data destruction services.
  • Obtained R2 Certification and earned the Inc 500 fastest-growing private companies award.
The team was sharp, even back then!

2010-2011

  • Added on-site degaussing services to our portfolio, and implemented capabilities to provide on-site, high-speed degaussing and shredding. 
  • 13 people and six trucks. 13 people then was a lot of people for us! 

2009-2010

  • GSA Contract Schedule and obtained NAID AAA Certification with an expansion to 12,000 square feet!
  • On-site High-Speed Data Shredding and custom Cloud CRM & ERP software on Salesforce.com.

2005-2007

  • Moved from New York City to the Washington DC area, expanding from 4,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet.
  • Scanning technology implementation.
  • On-site hard drive destruction was introduced, allowing highly secure companies to witness the destruction at their location.
  • Salesforce.com implementation.

2003

  • First Fortune 500 customer (Coca-Cola).

2000

  • Our founder, Jeremy Farber, established PC Recycler in New York.

We’re looking forward to the next 23 years with you!

Is Your Android Sharing Your Secrets?

When your phone gets old, becomes out of date, or starts to break, it’s time to decide whether to sell it or trade it in. You might hit the factory reset button, thinking your information is safe. However, your Android may contain some very private information!

Think about what’s on your phone – social security numbers, saved passwords, tax information, and more. In order to ensure that none of your personal information is compromised, it’s important to recycle your smartphone properly.  Using a certified R2 ITAD company with data destruction services keeps your information safe.

“Reset” Phones Still Contain Sensitive Data

Avast purchased 20 used Android phones from eBay that were reset using the manufacturer’s recommended settings. After using an “off-the-shelf digital forensic file,” it recovered more than 40,000 pieces of personal and sensitive data, including photos, emails, texts, and even the previous user and their contacts. Users believed they had erased all data by using the factory reset option, but their sensitive information was all still available. 

Why Do Reset Phones Still Contain Personal Information?

Your phone has been reset to your manufacturer’s settings. So, how is information still being recovered? Avast discovered that the operating system was removing and deleting information from files and showing it as free, but in reality, it remained on the drive or storage card. 

What Avast found was that the hard reset on the phone was not actually occurring, and user information could be recovered.  

Android Recycling: Good for Protecting Personal Information and the Environment

How you’ll make this decision depends on what you want to do with your device when you replace it. If your device is broken, your best option is to recycle it. An IT Asset Disposition company will recycle your phone and protect your data by totally erasing it. By shredding the SIM card or storage card, you can be certain that your data will be inaccessible.

At Securis, we ensure that all phones and other electronic devices are completely wiped of all data and information before we remarket or recycle the materials. Data erasure is vital prior to upcycling anything. By reselling phones, we help keep electronic equipment out of landfills. 

If that still makes you apprehensive, shredding is an option to provide total physical destruction. By shredding the SIM card and any parts that contain personal information, total destruction is guaranteed. Let us know how we can help you protect your personal information by contacting us here.