Data protection is the foundation of successful businesses. Therefore, your business must regularly practice data destruction to ensure tax records, employment documents, and other private information don’t fall into the wrong hands.
Learn about the most effective destruction methods—shredding and degaussing—and discover which approach is best for your business.
Shredding: The Process
Shredding physically destroys paper, hard drives, CDs, and other storage devices by cutting them into small pieces. This method guarantees that the data in them is irrecoverable.
Businesses that handle highly sensitive information often prefer shredding because it offers visual confirmation of data elimination. Additionally, shredding is suitable for all types of media, so it’s immensely versatile.
Degaussing: The Process
Degaussing eliminates data by neutralizing the magnetic field of a storage medium. It’s effective for hard drives and tape media that rely on magnetic fields to store data.
The primary benefit of degaussing for businesses is its efficiency in handling large volumes of magnetic media quickly. Degaussing also offers a less physically destructive option, allowing for the possibility of reusing some components and saving money along the way.
Cost Comparison
All businesses store confidential information differently. Therefore, this is a key factor when choosing if shredding or degaussing is best for your business.
Shredding can be more cost-effective for companies with lower volumes of media or those looking for a one-time disposal solution. There’s a wide range of shredders, from small manual machines to high-capacity office shredders, that accommodate varying data destruction volumes.
Degaussing involves an initial expensive cost for purchasing or leasing degaussing equipment. However, businesses that frequently utilize magnetic media will find this investment beneficial in the long run.
Security Levels
Both shredding and degaussing offer high levels of data protection. Shredding offers tangible evidence of destruction. Although degaussing doesn’t leave physical confirmation of erasure, it erases the content, so data recovery is impossible. The choice between the two methods may come down to a business’s specific security requirements or protocols.
Environmental Impact
The pieces of paper passed through paper shredders may seem harmful to the environment, but there are plenty of creative solutions to reuse shredded paper. It can become compost for a garden, eco-friendly packaging, and more.
Degaussing is the most obvious eco-friendly data destruction solution. It avoids producing physical waste and allows businesses to repurpose the electronics. This way, electronics don’t find their way into landfills and pollute the environment.
If shredding is the approach of your choice, Capital Shredder is a reputable resource to protect your business. Our range of high-security shredders will ensure your business stays protected regardless of the media.
