More and more businesses and individuals are going paperless nowadays and with good reason. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but we live in a digital age. Everything is online and having paper-only documents is just not very convenient. Most businesses are good at keeping staff and client personal information secured by following all applicable regulations. However, it is when it comes time to destroying this information that things can get tricky. In the past, the paper could be destroyed and that would be that. Now, it is important to hire a hard drive shredding service to make sure that all your information is completely destroyed and not recoverable.
It is the responsibility of any company to protect the information that they keep on file. That responsibility does not end when the information is no longer needed. Hard drives and other electronic devices cannot simply be deleted. The information can still be recovered by intrepid thieves using special software. E-waste shredding and other options are absolutely necessary to keep that information secure after it is no longer needed.
Here are some reasons why using a hard drive shredding service is so vital.
Magnets Won’t Cut It
Everyone can think of a scene from a television show or a movie where the contents of a computer are deleted by a magnet, or the tech guy gets upset if someone brings a magnet near an important computer. There is a reason why you should not believe everything you see on TV. For a magnet to permanently delete the files on a hard drive, you would need to expose the platter inside the drive by removing the platinum plating. Then, you would need a super magnet, much stronger than any you could buy at a store, to get the results you want. It is definitely much easier to use a hard drive shredding service to destroy that hard drive or to do your E-waste shredding.
Formatting Is Not Enough
There are many people who believe that formatting a hard drive will delete all its contents. This is simply not true. Formatting will only make the files invisible, and hackers can retrieve it with very little difficulty.
Data-Wiping Programs
There are several programs on the market that claim they can wipe everything clean from a hard drive. However, these programs tend to leave what are known as “ghosts” of the information that had been there before. Again, any hacker worth his or her salt will be able to access that information and use it for no good. Go with E-waste shredding from our hard drive shredding service to completely delete that information and make it inaccessible.
DIY Instead of a Hard Drive Shredding Service
There are certainly companies that try to destroy their data themselves to try to save money. They use some of the techniques we’ve mentioned above, or even others we haven’t. The fact is, trying to cut costs in this way may end up costing more down the road. Every lost record can cost a company a little under $150. If there are hundreds or thousands of records on a drive, then the total will add up mighty fast. So, while it might seem costly to go with a hard drive shredding service, you could be saving money in the long run. Besides, a data breach can have a major impact on a company’s reputation, which can lead to fewer clients and potentially the loss of the business.
Do not leave your E-waste shredding to chance. Contact Marshall Shredding to handle all of your information and document destruction needs. We service most major cities in Texas including Dallas and Houston.
