Hard Drive Destruction in SM3

With 21,018 people and 108 businesses, SM3 puts to use an estimated 17,795 electronic devices a day, including 4,624 laptops and 6,165 computers making SM3 one of the densest areas in SM3 regarding the use of electronics and data consumption. Regarding data creation and storage if not managed correctly at the end of the equipment’s life it causes a potential security and privacy risk for individual and/or companies in SM3, who annually, are responsible for the disposal of 5,932 pieces of electronic waste.

It is also important to note that doing the hard drive erasing yourself is a risk as the information erased is never permanently deleted and if it got into the wrong hands criminals could easily retrieve your information from the hard drives. Simply wiping a hard drive is not enough, the only way to ensure the security of your data/information that is stored on hard drives and other storage devices is to use a professional hard drive destruction service in SM3.

For companies in SM3, the risks are bigger as there are more stakeholders at risk so using a specialist hard drive destruction company in SM3 mitigates your risk by ensuring the secure destruction of all sensitive data/information. Hard drive destruction services should be carried out by experts with specialist software who also ensure the recycling of the device after the destruction process is complete.

The 108 companies in SM3 should consider the following when destroying hard drives:

1. Is this a one-off requirement or are you destroying hard drives regularly?
2. Is the hard drive destruction being done because of a legal/regulatory requirement?

Once answered select what is the right hard drive destruction option below:

1. Hard drive wiping

Data wiping involves overwriting data from an electronic medium using specialist software to ensure the data is permanently destroyed. Using Blancco software to wipe hard drives is the only way to guarantee this process 100% as it destroys the data to international standards, that have been tested, certified and approved by over 15 governing bodies including National Cyber Security Centre, ADISA, BSI.

2. Degaussing

Destroying data with a high-powered magnet to disrupt the magnetic field of the device. However, because the hard drive is inoperable once carried out, you cannot prove if the information inside the hard drive has been destroyed, it also is not very environmentally friendly either.

3. Physical destruction

Which does fully destroy the hard drive and therefore the data however, if carried out by a destruction company they cannot fully prove the hard drive destruction as simply receiving a certificate of destruction does not prove it absolutely.

Secure end-of-life management processes such as destroying hard drives securely is now a critical IT concern as using a professional destruction process is a legal requirement for any business. Asset management to track inventory of hard drives sent for destruction, needs a full proof system that details when and how the data was destroyed and disposed of. Making sound decisions when choosing a destruction partner to carry out hard drive destruction is key to protecting your companies reputation and risk.

How you mitigate the risks:

1. Using On-Site Security

Keeping data secure using passwords and access level whilst the equipment is being used is a well-known process, but also consider where you are storing broken IT equipment as this also creates risk.

2. Secure Chain of Custody

A professional destruction company provides a chain of custody tracking all the way until they are destroyed and disposed of.

3. Hard Drive Wiping

By working with a company that uses Blancco software you have mitigated all risks at this stage.

4. Certifications

You must ensure that the hard drive destruction service comes with a certification of destruction, as well as an inventory report linking the wiping licence number with the equipment serial number proving the wiping through Blancco (a third party).

Blancco data erasure reports provide information that helps companies comply with regulations such as FISMA, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, GLBA, PCI DSS and more.

The following table explains the benefits of using Blancco software; the only way to fully prove the destruction of a hard drive.

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