Common Types of Hard Drives on the Market Today. Can they be Destroyed ?

The most commonly used hard drives in today's computing world are the 3.5", 2.5" and 1.8" form factor drives.  They represent over 95% of the drives currently being used in today's office. Larger drives only represent a small portion of the drives that are in use today. Until recent years, a practical solution for In-House destruction was not available other than delete software, drilling holes in the drives, burning or methods that are not very practical or did not guarantee any level of security.  From a security standpoint, there is no substitute to controlling your own IT Destruction Program in-house especially if user friendly equipment, affordable equipment is available that can be utilized by IT Personnel or others within the Company that have access to the drives.

Crush a Drive. Use a Sledgehammer.

This device represents final destruction for some companies while other high security Government organizations use them to disable drives after they have been magnetically degaussed to NSA Standards. The Crusher (SEM Model 0101 Sledgehammer) takes up very little space ( 22" h x 10"w x 19" d ) and can easily be transported to other locations. A deployment case is available for easy transport. The method of destruction is a Hardened Pointed Conical Punch that comes in contact with the drive with 12,000 lbs of force causing trauma to the drive chassis and internal platter. The process takes about 10 seconds. Sounds kind of menacing but this unit is quiet, safe and requires minimal maintenance. It is also very affordable and ideal for in- house destruction. It is made in the US.   

Hard Drive Shredding. Try a Jackhammer.

Several years ago, the average Hard Drive Shredder needed its own bldg it was so big and it was only practical for most organizations to use an outside destruction service or salvage company when HDD's needed to be shredded. When volume or total destruction is needed, the SEM Jackhammer series ( 0300, 0301 or 0304) is your best solution. These units have amazing destructive power in a very small foot print. They will destroy from 500-2,500 Drives per hour. Power consumption is minimal. They are quiet, compact and very industrial in design. Numerous safety features are incorporated into the design.  Maintenance is minimal and can be done by your own company personnel or by PM contract with the manufacturer.

What is Magnetic Degaussing?

Degaussing is a method for destroying Hard Drives that utilizes powerful Magnets.  Some models, like the SEM ME-P3 and ME-P3M meet NSA EPL ( Evaluated Products List ) Guidelines for destroying classified drives.  Other commercial grade Degausses are available from SEM. All units are extremely safe, compact and very practical for in house destruction. All Degaussers can also be bundled with HDD Shredders or Crushers if drives need to be disabled after magnetic destruction as required by NSA.

For more information, Please visit our website at www.semshred.com or call us at 800-225-9292 to speak to your representative.