What is a Certificate of Data Destruction?

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Mar 26th, 2025

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What Is a Certificate of Data Destruction—and Why It Matters to Your Organization

A Certificate of Destruction is critical for your Compliance Documentation:

If your organization handles sensitive data, you know that deleting a file isn’t enough. When IT assets reach end-of-life, secure data destruction is critical for security, compliance, and legal protection. That’s where a Certificate of Data Destruction comes in.

Proof of Compliance for Secure IT Asset Disposal

A Certificate of Data Destruction from Securis is your documented proof that retired electronic equipment has been processed according to the highest security and compliance standards. This certificate verifies that your organization’s data has been destroyed in full compliance with NAID AAA Certification, NIST 800-88, Department of Defense, NSA guidelines, and key regulatory frameworks, including HIPAA, HITECH, FACTA, and GLBA.

Built-In Peace of Mind for IT and Compliance Leaders

Whether you’re a CIO, IT Manager, Compliance Officer, or Procurement Director, Securis helps you eliminate risk by providing a fully managed, auditable, and secure IT asset disposition (ITAD) solution.

From the moment your equipment is picked up, Securis secures the chain of custody with locked bins and trucks. Once it arrives at one of our secure facilities, each asset is scanned and cataloged using proprietary software, recording:

  • Make and model
  • Serial numbers (if available)
  • Asset tag IDs
  • Unique Securis key with job number and destruction status

These layers of documentation offer multiple ways to identify every asset, enabling airtight audit trails and easy reporting. In addition, our DriveSnap AI proprietary AI scanning technology assures photographic evidence of asset information for all destroyed assets that still exist even after the asset has been destroyed.  

certificate of data destruction

Why a Certificate of Data Destruction Protects Your Business

A properly issued Certificate of Destruction is more than a formality—it’s a critical compliance document that:

  • Protects against fines for improper data handling
  • Demonstrates due diligence during audits or investigations
  • Reduces legal liability in the event of a breach or data exposure

Whether decommissioning a single hard drive or an entire data center, having documented proof of secure data destruction is essential for regulatory compliance and brand protection.

See It with Your Own Eyes: Witnessed Destruction Available

Need to see the data destruction process firsthand? We offer two options:

  1. On-site services with our mobile shredding units. These units can degauss, shred, and even micro-shred end-of-life IT Assets on-site
  2. Witnessed destruction at a Securis facility

For high-security environments like healthcare, defense, or financial services, we offer micro-shredding to pulverize devices down to NSA-recommended 2mm particles—ideal for SSDs and other high-density data storage that can’t be degaussed or shredded by conventional means.

Real-Time Inventory and Certificates—Accessible Anytime

When your IT asset disposal project is complete, Securis provides:

  • A detailed inventory report of all devices, including make, model, and serial number
  • A Certificate of Destruction for each asset destroyed or wiped to NIST 800-88 standards
  • 24/7 access via our secure client portal, making audits, compliance checks, and reporting effortless

Secure, Accurate, and Sustainable

Securis is more than just a data destruction company—we’re your partner in secure IT asset disposal and sustainable e-waste recycling. Every step of our process ensures your assets are handled securely, accurately, and sustainably. 

Ready to Protect Your Organization from Data Liability?
Contact Securis today to learn how our certified, audited, and fully secure IT asset disposal services can help you stay compliant, protected, and ahead of risk.

 

FAQ's for Certificates of Destruction

A Certificate of Data Destruction is an official document that verifies your organization’s electronic data has been securely and permanently destroyed. It includes key details such as asset types, serial numbers, and destruction methods—ensuring compliance with industry standards like NIST 800-88, HIPAA, and NAID AAA.

This certificate protects your organization by proving due diligence in data handling. It can help you avoid regulatory fines, reduce legal liability, and demonstrate compliance during audits or investigations.

Any organization handling sensitive, regulated, or personally identifiable information—such as those in healthcare, finance, education, or government—should obtain a Certificate of Destruction when disposing of IT assets.

A Securis Certificate of Destruction includes:

  • Company Name
  • Date of Service

  • Destruction Type (e.g., degaussing, shredding, micro-shredding)

  • Job Number

While not always legally required, it is often strongly recommended for proving compliance with laws like HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA. In some regulated industries, having verifiable proof of secure data destruction is essential for meeting audit requirements.

Securis follows a strict chain-of-custody protocol, uses certified destruction methods, and documents every step of the IT asset disposition process. Our proprietary DriveSnap AI captures photographic evidence of each asset, even after destruction, for complete traceability.

Yes. Securis offers both on-site mobile shredding and witnessed destruction at our secure facilities. This is especially valuable for high-security environments or organizations with strict compliance requirements.

You can access your certificates and destruction reports anytime through the secure Securis client portal. Reports are available in real time and can be used for audits, compliance reviews, and internal documentation.