Hard drive destruction is important for your own security, and for staying in compliance with laws like HIPAA that have destruction requirements for hard copies. Additionally, the hard drive shredding cost is typically much lower than the other secure option, degaussing.
To ensure information is securely destroyed, there are 3 main ways to go about it: formatting, shredding, or degaussing.
Watch the video or read the transcript below to learn why shredding is the most secure, efficient, and cost-effective way to securely destroy your old information.
Video Transcription
Hard Drive Shredding Cost and Advantages
Among the destruction options, there are 3 main reasons why hard drive shredding is the best route:
- Security: Hard drive shredding is permanent with no option for recovery, whereas with formatting there’s software to recover deleted data.
- Time Efficiency: Depending on how many there are, the time it takes to individually format or degauss drives quickly stacks up compared to only needing to gather hard drives together for a one-time destruction project.
- Cost: Formatting drives is free, but it poses security risks. Degaussing is more secure, but it’s slow and expensive. On the other hand, the hard drive shredding cost is typically only $7–$20 per drive.
Price Goes Down When Quantity Goes Up
Besides being cheaper than the different methods, other factors can lower the cost of hard drive shredding itself.
More specifically, the larger your project is and the more hard drives you have to shred, the less it will cost per drive.
The Hard Drive Shredding Process
Having your hard drives shredded is simple—the hard drive destruction process has 3 main steps.
1. Drop Off Drives or Have Them Picked Up
Once you find the right provider to meet your needs, the destruction process begins with either dropping off hard drives or having them picked up by the provider.
2. Destruction By Industrial Shredder
After arriving at the facility, hard drives are destroyed using industrial shredders.
To ensure compliance with EPA and state hazardous waste laws, providers finish by recycling the shredded electronics.
3. Reassurance With a Certificate of Destruction
Once the shredding is complete the process ends with you receiving a certificate of destruction.
A certificate of destruction outlines the chain of custody and details what, when, and where hard drives were destroyed. This is not only for your own assurance but also for proof of legal compliance.
Want to Know the Hard Drive Shredding Cost for You?
Shred Nations partners with secure electronics shredders across North America. To let us help you find the right provider, fill out the form on the right or give us a call at (800) 747-3365 for a free no-obligation quote from shredding services in your area.
