Most of us really don’t know what the average life span of a computer is. We simply use it till it is too slow or error ridden and get a new one. Businesses tackle the same issues but on a much larger scale. The industry average for destroying electronic devices typically falls somewhere around the five year mark. Degaussing is big business for all businesses. What exactly is degaussing? What exactly is hard drive destruction?
Hard drive shredding. Hard drive destruction.
Degaussing is the process of totally erasing data by reducing or eliminating an unwanted magnetic field (information) stored on tape and disk media. A degausser is a machine that changes the magnetic domain (where the data is stored) of magnetic data storage devices.
Hard drive destruction is as simple as it reads. We pull the electronic media (typically hard drives) out of a server or computer tower and it goes through a pulverization process and is then sent to a recycling facility. Oftentimes medium or large sized businesses end up with stockpiles of used electronic media and hard drives that need to be destroyed. Using a secure data shredding service like Embassy Records Management is the way to go. Alleviate the risk of a data breach. Shredding companies like Embassy do the work for you so your business can rest assured that all confidential papers or hard drives are confidentially destroyed.
What other electronic media should be shredded?
In addition to your hard drives and computers, the following electronic media items should be destroyed by a shredding company:
· Computer backup tapes- Tape backup is the practice of periodically copying data from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge so the data can be recovered if there is a hard disk crash or failure. Tape backups can be done manually or be programmed to happen automatically with appropriate software.
· CD’s, DVDs, Flash drives
· Laptops, Tablets, FireSticks
· Old printers and fax machines
Keeping a data retention schedule.
Having a retention schedule in place is key. When should your hard drives be destroyed? What type of personal, financial, or medical related data is stored on your hard drives. Embassy Records Management is a full-service document and media management and consulting firm. Give them a call at 800-717-1443 for free advice on data retention scheduling. Data kept for too long can easily become a liability. Shred it or delete it when you can.
Any PHI (protected health information) should be treated carefully. Non compliance fines and lawsuits can and potentially will occur if you destroy documents or hard drives before their retention schedule. Additionally, a secure record shredding company should provide you with a certificate of destruction once the hard drives or other electronic media has been completed. Look for a secure NAID certified paper shred company. We also can assist with any e-Destruction questions. E-waste is the future of data destruction.
The staff at Embassy Records Management and storage have a combined 65 years of secure data destruction and recycling experience. Trust a locally owned paper and electronic media shredding company like ERMS. We love our clients and our clients love us.
We are the trusted local paper shredding company in Central Texas.
Give us a call any time at 800-717-1443.
Our Waco, TX address is 2100 Webster Ave. Waco, TX 76706.
Our College Station, TX location is at 6936 Old Jones Rd. College Station, TX 77845.
Our Round Rock, TX location is at 1000 Heritage Center Circle Road. Suite 363. Round Rock, TX 78664.
Comments