After you replace an outdated or nonfunctional computer, what do you do with the hard drive?

With SysCorp’s Data Wipe Service, we will:

  • Perform a Department of Defense (DoD) wipe of your hard drive that includes 7 erase functions.
  • Provide you with a compliance certificate that includes the hard drive serial number(s) for your records
  • Upon request, return the hard drive to you

After all, you don’t want anyone getting hold of it and accessing your confidential data. Introducing SysCorp’s Disk Data Wipe. By using this service, you can have peace of mind that your data is erased from the disk. We perform a Department of Defense (DoD) wipe of your hard drive that includes 7 erase functions. Afterwards we will give you a certificate that the drive was successfully wiped. You can even keep the disk afterwards if you would like.

How to Securely Wipe a Hard Drive

Whether you're a business owner upgrading your computer system or a personal computer user switching to a new machine, make sure to clear old hard drives to ensure your data isn't compromised. Each drive should be fully cleaned so that no one can access any files that were saved on it; this means more than a simple erase, delete, and empty trash. If you only take those simple steps to remove your files, your data may still be accessible. Fortunately, there are security options that can help you wipe an entire drive and all its partitions and contents.

What Should You Do With Old Hard Drives?

First, do not ever simply throw away an old hard drive or give it to someone else if you have merely deleted the files on it. This hardware device is not secure, and your data can be retrieved from its drive platters. Before you even consider recycling a drive or passing it on, first do a backup of all your individual files, and then perform a DoD wipe with seven full cycles. A DoD wipe like this writes over your data seven times. While your data is technically still on the drive, it is nearly impossible to access through any command, settings or menu. You can then dispose of your drive as you planned.

Why Should Your Business Wipe Old Hard Drives?

It is critical for your business to wipe old hard drives so that confidential information remains fully secure. Hard drives are home to all kinds of data, including your employees' Social Security numbers, your customers' banking details and credit card numbers, patients' health information and proprietary data about your company. It is your responsibility to keep this information fully secure both in physical locations and virtual ones. So when you upgrade your computer system, you must meet legal standards of confidentiality and security by wiping your old hard drives so that no one can access the information that has been stored on them.

Why Should You Not Sell Old Hard Drives?

We do not recommend that you sell old hard drives. It is usually better to destroy them and then recycle them according to your state and local laws. However, if you are set on selling your old hard drives, you must wipe them as described above. Better yet, turn to our Disk Wipe services. We will perform the process for you no matter what version of Windows or what features your old computer had, and we will provide you with a certificate that the hard drive, identified by its serial number, has been wiped. Ideally, you would destroy the drive afterward, but you can be confident that the data it stored has been rendered inaccessible. Don't forget to fully wipe your old USB drives too, especially if a USB drive holds confidential information. Always remember that a hard drive or other file storage device is not secure until it has been fully wiped.