3 min read

So you’re planning on getting a new computer? We can’t blame you. Technology is getting better each year, and that old fossil just can’t keep up. But what about all of those sensitive files you have saved to your computer? Sure, they may be outdated, but they’re still files with important information on them about you or your clients. It’s your job to dispose of them properly.

If your response was “hit the computer with the hammer”, you are very wrong. Computers can be some pretty complex things. They may seem fragile, but in reality, they’re very good at protecting what matters most: the hardware. If you do a sloppy job disposing of your computer, your files will be easy for any computer thief to access – and that puts you and your clients at risk.

Read on to find out the proper way of destroying a hard drive so that you and your clients will stay safe.

Destroying a Hard Drive with Brute Strength is not Enough

Like we mentioned earlier, beating your computer doesn’t remove all of your files. Other than the fact that computers are good at physically protecting their hardware, your actual files could betray you as well just because of their size.

The average file can fit itself within less than .0015 of an inch of space on a memory disk. This means if you leave at least that much space on the disk intact, a file could be stored there – and is at risk of being stolen.

Even placing the files in the recycle bin and deleting them isn’t enough. The trace memory of the file is still embedded in the computer and anyone with any amount of tech experience could retrieve it.

In short, any sort of conventional means we could think of just wouldn’t be enough to solve the problem. You would have to look towards more professional means to permanently destroy the data.

Try Destroying it by Overwriting Data

One popular way of deleting your files is to use computer wiping programs.The funny thing about wiping programs is that they aren’t actually wiping your disc clean; in fact, it’s kind of the opposite.

Disk wiping programs destroy a hard drive by packing it with what’s basically a bunch of trash data. The programs write and rewrite the file until the sensitive data is completely covered and unreadable.

If you choose this route, be prepared to have patience. The whole process can take hours to complete per disk, but at least you know that those files will be long gone.

Or Destroy it With a Magnet

Some people would have too much fun with this.

You know how people say not to keep your phone next to your wallet because the magnets inside could damage or wipe your credit cards? This is the same idea, except on a bigger scale.

To wipe your computer files, you’ll need a little something called a degausser, a high-intensity magnet with the ability to scramble the data on a disk.The process is relatively simple to carry out, however, the degaussers will run you over $1,000 for a good one so you’d better have deep pockets. And, if the hard drive is improperly degaussed, data recovery may still be possible.

Alternatively, you could just have the pros do the job, saving you a ton of money and getting the job done right.

The Only Secure Way to Go

Instead of taking the chance that the data on your hard drive is still accessible, trust your hard drive destruction to a AAA certified destruction facility. Our process ensures that yours and your customer’s data is destroyed and not recoverable. Contact us today to learn about our hard drive destruction, records shredding, and more.

Feel free to reach out to us to find out how we can help you with your security needs. We look forward to hearing from you.