The Best Way to Destroy Data

July 6, 2022

Most companies are well aware of this by now. Hard drives and other electronic data storage devices cannot simply be discarded. First of all, these devices contain a great deal of data that you would rather not have end up in the wrong hands. In addition, a hard drive is made of valuable raw materials, and it is important to recover as much of them as possible.

Do It Yourself – Data Destruction

We regularly come across hard drives where attempts have been made to destroy the data. Here are a few examples:

• • Hit it with a hammer
  • Submerging it in water
    Neither of these will help. The hard drive is no longer working, but a specialist can recover the data.
  • Drilling a hole through the hard drive
    If you drill a large number of holes, this method works. However, it makes recycling more difficult. Furthermore, in the case of phones and tablets, a fire can break out if the lithium-ion battery is damaged. At Krommenhoek, we do not accept these devices. 
  • Degaussing (exposure to magnetism)
    Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. It is impossible to determine whether the data has actually been destroyed, or just the circuit board. The disk containing all the data is housed in a so-called Faraday cage and is protected against high levels of magnetism.
  • Formatting
    This doesn't work. Only the hard drive's "table of contents" is erased—that is, the references to where the data is stored. The data itself remains intact.

  So, the methods mentioned have drawbacks or simply don't work at all. Often, a specialist can recover the data relatively quickly by reading the drive in a different way.

  There are other methods that might sometimes work. But they carry a risk of injury, or they are very labor-intensive. Moreover, it’s usually impossible to verify whether the data has actually been destroyed.

  Proper Data Destruction

  Professional companies such as Krommenhoek specialize in data destruction. We use proven methods to ensure 100% data destruction. We also always perform a verification check to ensure that the destruction was successful.

  Erase Hard Drives

  We’ve already seen that simply formatting isn’t enough. Still, it’s entirely possible to erase data from hard drives. Krommenhoek Metals uses certified WipeDrive software—a leading solution that offers us a choice of no fewer than twenty different erasure protocols. By default, we use NIST 800-88, an international standard for data wiping. Data is overwritten in a specific pattern with other data—essentially zeros and ones. This ensures the permanent deletion of the original data. After wiping, a hard drive can be reused. That’s why this is the most sustainable option: your old hardware retains its maximum value.

  Trust is good, but verification is better

  After erasing the hard drive, our software verifies that all data has been destroyed. When wiping an entire batch of drives, the software also generates a wipe report. This report lists all the hard drives and includes a detailed overview of the hardware.

  Hard Drive Shredding

  Sometimes a hard drive is damaged and cannot be wiped, or cannot be wiped completely. Krommenhoek also has a shredder specifically designed for data storage devices. This ensures that hard drives and all the data they contain are still securely destroyed. Our shredder processes the hard drive into small pieces in accordance with DIN 66399 Protection Class 3, Security Level H5. In plain language, this means that recovering the data is technically impossible.

  

  Before they are sent to the shredder, all hard drives are thoroughly documented: part number, serial number, brand, model, and capacity. A detailed destruction certificate is also generated for each drive. This allows you to demonstrate that old hard drives have been professionally destroyed.

  The shredded material is sorted at a plant. This allows for the recovery of the highest possible percentage of raw materials (such as aluminum).

  GDPR-compliant and audit-ready

  The GDPR stipulates that data must be securely destroyed once the statutory retention period has expired or when data storage media are decommissioned. In addition to this legal obligation, you want to be able to demonstrate during a potential audit that you have had your data destroyed in a secure and professional manner. Our certificates are fully GDPR-compliant and audit-ready!

  In addition to standard hard drives, Krommenhoek is also able to wipe or destroy data from data tapes (LTO/DLT), USB drives, SSDs, phones, tablets, CDs, and floppy disks.

  Everything under one roof

  The destruction of data storage devices is often part of a cleanup operation. Disposing of your old electronics, metal items, and office equipment can be quite a task. Krommenhoek can take all this work off your hands. That’s a relief, especially in these times of an unprecedentedly tight labor market. We can even clear out entire rooms or offices for you.

  Krommenhoek holds, among other things, current ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and WEEELABEX certifications. In addition, we can provide you with a comprehensive work plan upon request. This ensures that you can always demonstrate that all work performed by us on your site was carried out professionally and safely.

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