Destroying electronics: Why should you destroy your old computer?
Think your electronic files are gone after you clear off your desktop’s recycling bin? Think again.
When you delete your old electronic files off and clear your recycle bin, it really isn’t gone forever. That is, it may still live in the hard drive.
Shredding your hard drive is essential for your security if you’re planning on disposing a used electronic device. If the hard drive is still intact, so is access to your entire computer’s history. Electronic shredding is the complete erasure of data via physical destruction of the hard drive.
Here are some important facts about electronic shredding you should know before you start the process.
Every single track on every platter must be destroyed properly. According to Techtarget, even the remaining bits of unbroken tracks can still lead to recovered data.
Don’t DIY it. Before you grab a hammer to get to work, consider the first point: if destroyed improperly, you still run the risk of information theft by leaving your hard drive readable. DIY methods of breaking down your hard drive are no way to guarantee complete destruction. Instead, a professional hard drive shredder will pulverize the hard drive.
Overwriting files is not the same thing as hard drive shredding. Your existing files will still be traceable unless it has been overwritten hundreds of times. Physical destruction of the hard drive is still a much more efficient and permanent way to wipe the hard drive.
Shredder machines can be expensive. Shredding machines for your own use are a hefty investment, ranging in the thousands of dollars! Maintenance of these machines are another cost factor. Professional shredding services will provide better value with expertise and convenience.
You can shred your hard drive on-site. Merlin Shredding offers hard drive shredding to different locations for your convenience. Should you decide to destroy your hard drive when disposing of your device at the office, Merlin Shredding will send our mobile shredding trucks to the vicinity. Our mobile shredding service allows you to watch your hard drive go through the entire shredding process.
We also offer off-site shredding as a convenient alternative, where we destroy your data at a different facility.
Our shredding machine physically crushes the hard drive thoroughly, so you can leave feeling assured that your data is unreadable and untraceable. If you find your business has a regular turnover of devices, we also offer the option to have scheduled audits and shredding appointments.
Interested in Merlin Shredding’s Electronics Shredding service? Contact us today for more information at info@merlinshredding.com.