Data is destroyed by physically destroying the storage media — hard drives, SSDs and other data-bearing devices — so the data can never be recovered. A certified recycler documents the process in a certificate of data destruction, and can carry it out on the client's premises if required.
Retired computers, servers and phones still contain emails, customer records, financial data and passwords. Before any device is recycled, that data must be made permanently unrecoverable.
Why deleting or formatting is not enough
Deleting files or formatting a drive usually removes only the reference to the data, not the data itself. With widely available tools, it can often be recovered. That is why companies with sensitive data rely on physical destruction.
How physical data destruction works
- Identification – storage media are located in the equipment: hard disk drives (HDD), solid-state drives (SSD) and other data-bearing parts.
- Counting and weighing – media are documented before destruction.
- Destruction – the storage media are physically destroyed so they can never be read again.
- Recycling – the destroyed material goes through the normal recycling process.
- Certification – a certificate of data destruction confirms the job.
On-site or off-site?
- On-site destruction – the recycler destroys the media at your premises, so data never leaves your building. Preferred by banks, government bodies and data centers.
- Off-site destruction – media travel to the recycler’s facility under a secure chain of custody.
What the certificate is for
A certificate of data destruction is the evidence your information-security, audit and compliance teams need to show that retired devices left your control without readable data.
EERC provides physical data destruction, on-site or at its licensed facility in 6th of October City, with a certificate for every job.