What Gets Stolen From Old Hard Drives

Think about the last time your laptop or desktop computer bit the dust. Chances are you relegated it to the electronic waste facility (or sold for a few bucks on Craigslist) without a second thought. 

But did you know that your old hard drives can be a treasure trove of information for those with less-than-pure motives? The drive may be "dead," but the data it contains isn't going anywhere. Worse, anyone with specialized tools and the right skill set can retrieve your info for their own nefarious purposes.

When you're disposing of that old computer, here's how to protect yourself through consumer hard drive destruction. 

Sensitive Information on Hard Drives

Studies show that 37% of hard drives bought second-hand still contain data. Unfortunately, much of that data is sensitive and can put you at risk of identity theft. From bank account numbers to medical records, passwords to credit card numbers, hard drives tend to contain personal information that you simply don't want falling into the wrong hands. 

But that's not all. Think about all your old emails, texts and other personal documents that are stored on that hard drive, not to mention pictures. While these types of data might not allow a criminal to sneak into your bank account, you still don't want to make it easy for anyone to gain unwanted access into your life. 

And if you're a business owner, you really don't want to leave sensitive data unsecured. Not only could your business be harmed, you could be at risk of a lawsuit if client information is stolen.

That's why hard drive destruction is so important. 

How to Properly Destroy Old Hard Drives

So how do you protect yourself — and your data — when disposing of an old computer?

You could let it sit on a shelf in your closet until the data is so outdated that it's no longer worth anything. But that's simply not practical. You need a faster solution. 

You could erase the hard drive then degauss it, or destroy the data using a magnetic field. But as technology improves, so do data recovery methods, and simply wiping and degaussing isn't always enough. 

You could grab a drill, a hammer or a crowbar and smash and shatter until not one bit of electronics remains intact. But that's a messy option, and you have no way of knowing that the most important components — the magnetic platters — are actually inoperable. 

There's a better solution: hard drive destruction services. Also known as shredding your hard drive, consumer hard drive destruction offers peace of mind and the certainty that your information is safe. 

Contact Carolina Shred

Hard drive destruction services ensure that criminals can't access your personal or business information. Protecting yourself and your company is simple: Work with the experts at Carolina Shred.

Our uniformed employees will pick up hard drives and take them to our secure facility for shredding. Once we've completely destroyed the drive, you'll receive a hard drive destruction certificate.

Hard drive destruction costs are reasonable, and well worth the peace of mind you'll have knowing your data is safe.

Contact Carolina Shred today to learn how we can help you protect yourself.