Choose physical destruction (hard drive damage) for drives that will not be reused or are faulty — it makes data permanently unreadable. Choose certified data erasure with BitRaser when drives and devices will be reused, refurbished or resold; each device gets a certificate of data erasure. Both can be carried out at your premises.
Every retired computer, server and phone must leave your company with its data made permanently unreadable. There are two reliable ways to do it, and the right one depends on whether the device will be used again.
The two methods at a glance
| Method | How it works | Device reusable? | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical destruction (hard drive damage) | The storage device is physically destroyed | No | Certificate of data destruction |
| Certified data erasure (BitRaser) | Software permanently overwrites all data | Yes | Certificate of data erasure per device |
Physical destruction (hard drive damage)
Physical destruction damages the components that store the data, so it can never be read again. It works on hard drives, SSDs and other storage media, including faulty drives that cannot be erased. It is the standard choice for any drive that will not be reused.
Certified data erasure with BitRaser
Certified erasure software permanently overwrites the data on HDDs, SSDs, laptops, desktops and servers, making it irretrievable through conventional data recovery methods. Each successful erasure gets an individual certificate documenting the device’s serial number and erasure status. The device can then be reused, refurbished, resold or donated. It needs working hardware, so faulty drives are physically destroyed instead.
What the standards say
The widely used guideline NIST SP 800-88 (US National Institute of Standards and Technology) groups media sanitisation into three levels:
- Clear – overwriting data with software.
- Purge – stronger techniques that make recovery infeasible even with laboratory methods.
- Destroy – physical destruction of the media.
If your organisation follows a specific standard, mention it when you request a quote so the job is documented accordingly.
Quick decision guide
- Will the device be reused, refurbished or resold? Yes → certified data erasure.
- Is the drive faulty or not going to be reused? → Physical destruction.
- Does your policy require destruction? → Physical destruction.
- Must data stay on your premises? Choose on-site data destruction.
EERC provides physical destruction of storage media and certified data erasure as an Authorized Partner of BitRaser in Egypt — at your premises or at its licensed facility in 6th of October City — with a certificate for every job.