How to Dispose of Digital Files Safely

Technology continues to grow and allow society easier and faster options in our day-to-day lives. There is a world of information available right at our fingertips. The hard drive on your computer stores an immeasurable amount of this information throughout its lifetime.

Every search, click, or piece of information you enter stores onto your hard drive until the hard drive itself is shred. It is possible, and probable, that much of the information that has been stored to your hard drive is personal information that should not be shared with anyone else.

Your computer’s hard drive stores a large amount of private and personal information. It is important to make sure that absolutely no one will be able to obtain its contents. Even the smallest bit of information stolen from you could lead to a multitude of consequences.

Why is it Necessary to Destroy my Hard Drive?

When you decide it is time to replace your device, it is necessary to properly dispose of its hard drive in order to prevent your personal information from getting into the wrong hands. The result could be detrimental with fraud and identity theft being more common than it has ever been.

Once a hard drive has been adequately shred, the information on it is no longer available for even the most techno-literate person to find. Because of this, it is necessary for you to save any important information to your new device.

As soon as you have transferred all of the information that you want to save, it is a good idea to dispose of the hard drive as soon as possible. When the time finally comes around, there are a couple of different options available in order to ensure that the information will never be seen by anyone, including yourself.

What are my Options?


hard driveIf you are just looking to get rid of a few files, there are certain types of software that will allow you to permanently delete them from your hard drive. However, this can be expensive and a long process. In order to get rid of the information for good, the hard drive itself must be deemed inoperable.

 

 

  • Degaussing Your Hard Drive: One way to ensure that your information will never be seen again is to degauss your hard drive. This process uses magnetic field generators to remove all information from the hard drive itself. There will be no physical damage to the hard drive. The magnetic forces destroy the hard drive internally, making it inoperable.
  • Shredding Your Hard Drive: The other option is to shred your hard drive. In this process, the hard drive itself is sent through an industry-style shredding machine. This shreds through the metal and the discs that hold the data as well. Using this process allows you to physically see that the hard drive has been turned to pieces. Therefore, it becomes inoperable.

These options can give you the peace of mind in knowing that your private information will never be seen by anyone.

As you are in the process of getting rid of your old computer, don’t forget to make sure that there is no way for someone else to pull all of your information from its hard drive.

Get a Free Quote on Hard Drive Disposal Today!

Our network of professionals would be happy to help you find a hard drive disposal solution tailored to your needs. Simply fill out the form on the right, or give us a call at (866) 385-3706. Our experts are prepared to give you a quote within minutes!

 

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