Can Data be Recovered from a Shredded Hard Drive?
While there are more than a few ways to erase a hard drive, the most effective way to ensure all sensitive, proprietary, and personally identifiable information is destroyed is to shred the drive.
When you shred a hard drive, data recovery is essentially impossible. There’s just no way for anyone —whether their intentions are good or bad— to get back the information contained on that drive.
When shredded, the hard drive is being broken down into pieces that are highly deformed and smaller than an inch, so there’s no way to reassemble them or pull meaningful data off of them.
Why Hard Drive Shredding Is Superior to Digital Destruction
While there are many pieces of software that can “digitally destroy” the data on a hard drive — by erasing the data and then overwriting it with nonsense data multiple times— none of these methods are perfect.
For one, there is the possibility that the erasure software will fail partially, leaving you with the impression that the data is destroyed when it’s actually not.
Then, if someone is determined enough, advanced data recovery methods such as magnetic force microscopy or electron microscopy, can potentially recover data even after traditional data erasure methods are used.
The questions to ask yourself are: how sensitive is the data on the hard drive, what are the consequences of it falling into the wrong hands, and do you have things like the proper insurance and a remediation plan for when your company is held responsible for stolen data?
Fortunately, physical destruction with an experienced hard drive shredding service is both affordable and irreversible.
NAID Qualified Services
Fortunately, physical destruction with an experienced hard drive shredding service is both affordable and irreversible.
In addition to having years of experience and the proper shredding devices, at Protec Recycling in Alabama, we are a NAID certified data destruction service. NAID is the National Association for Information Destruction.
When a data destruction service is NAID certified, it means that the service provider has undergone a rigorous evaluation and auditing process to demonstrate compliance with NAID’s standards. The certification ensures that the service provider follows strict protocols and safeguards to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the data they handle.
NAID certification covers physical destruction methods (such as shredding), digital data erasure techniques, and overall operational security. It establishes standards for secure collection, transportation, and destruction of sensitive information across different media types, including paper documents, hard drives, magnetic tapes, optical media, and more.
Schedule One-Time or Ongoing Hard Drive Shredding
From one-time hard drive shredding to regularly scheduled service within our Alabama service area, Protec Recycling helps you regularly (and properly) shred hard drives. To schedule a pickup, call our office at 205-549-2120 or visit our Contact Us page today.
