In a world where data is becoming more valuable than gold, information security is a top priority. Whether you are a business owner who is renewing your server room or you are a home user and you want to sell your old laptop, the biggest question is how to dispose of the data permanently.
The industry is dominated by two approaches; hard disk drive (HDD) shredding and data wiping. The two work in a different way, though both attempt to protect your privacy. Let’s distinguish which one is more secure for your needs.
What is Data Wiping?
Wiping of data is a technique of data overwriting using software. Wiping overwrites your files with random patterns of zeros and ones instead of simply deleting a file, which normally leaves the real data on the platter.
Professional data wiping is based on international standards, including DoD 5220.22-M, which ensures that using advanced recovery software, it is impossible to restore the original data.
The Pros:
- Eco-Friendly – You do not destroy the hardware. The hard drive can be reused, donated, or resold.
- Cost-Effective – It dispenses with the need for the services of physical destruction.
- Audit Trails – Quality software gives a certificate of destruction, which confirms that the data is deleted.
The Cons:
- Time-Consuming – The wiping of a large drive may take hours.
- Human Error – In case a part of the drive is reallocated or damaged, the software may not read it, which results in leaving small fragments of data behind.
What is HDD Shredding?
The shredding of the HDD is literally what it is. You insert the hard drive into a heavy-duty industrial shredder. The machine shreds the metal, platters, and electronic bits into small and uneven pieces.
It is a brute force data security method. When a drive has been turned into a pile of metal confetti, it is literally impossible to retrieve the data.
The Pros:
- Absolute Certainty – There is no possibility of recovery. The finest hackers can not recreate a shredded platter.
- Speed – A shredder may have dozens of drives ruined within a few minutes.
- Visual Confirmation – The disappearance of your data is literally seen.
The Cons:
- Electronic Waste – The drive is ruined permanently. This adds to e-waste once it is not recycled properly.
- Higher Cost – You have to either contract a mobile shredding service or take the drives to a plant.
Which Is More Secure?
In a world where we are discussing unconditional security, HDD shredding will prevail.
Physical destruction eliminates the variable of software failure. It takes into consideration the hidden parts of the disk which could be overlooked by the software. In the case of government agencies, medical facilities, or law enforcement, shredding can be the only option to comply with strict laws on data privacy.
Nonetheless, data wiping is safe for the majority of businesses. With certified software, and in case the drive is in good health, the odds of recovery are almost zero. Wiping is the best option in case you wish to preserve the value of your hardware and save the environment.
The Verdict: How to Choose?
These are the three questions that you can ask yourself to determine the approach that would suit your case:
- Is the drive functional?
When the drive is damaged, the wiping of software will not work. You must shred it. - Does the hardware have value?
In the case of 100 high-capacity drives, wiping them out and selling them would make a difference of several thousand pounds. - What are your legal requirements?
Test your industry laws. There are industries that have to be destroyed by law.
Moreover, take the sustainability objectives of your company into account. Wiping can be used to recycle hardware in case you are more preoccupied with a circular economy. Shredding is the gold standard in case you want to eliminate all the risks.
Conclusion
The issue of data security is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Wiping is a more ecologically sound, clean method of clearing up your disks to have a second life. However, in the case where you are 100% sure that you do not want your sensitive information to be discovered at all, there is nothing more powerful than a shredder.
Do not leave your security to chance. Select the approach which fits your risk level and allows you to sleep better at night. Wipe it or shred it; ensure to get the job done right!