The Art of Hard Drive Shredding:
Is This Process Enough?

hard drive shredding

Data is often called the lifeblood of businesses. A renowned statistician by the name of W. Edwards Deming once said, “In God we trust; all others bring data.”​ Understandable as data not only drives decision-making and innovation. It also provides a competitive advantage in today’s digital age. Which is why the misuse of data often also leads to severe consequences. Threats of identity theft, financial fraud, and unauthorized access to sensitive information are pretty much real. So if data can be prevented from leaking at the very beginning, that would be preferred. Thankfully, there are ways to ensure that this never happens. Enter hard drive shredding or hard drive destruction, a process we will look at closely in this article.

Importance of Hard Drive Shredding

Hard drive shredding is defined as a process for ensuring complete data disposal to prevent potential breaches. This involves physical hard drive destruction so that sensitive information contained within them cannot be retrieved and is permanently destroyed. We cannot stress enough how this should be an essential component of any comprehensive data security strategy that you might have. Because the truth of the matter is, simply deleting files or formatting a drive does not suffice in ensuring data stays confidential, as specialized techniques can still recover data from these devices if not properly handled.

Methods of Hard Drive Shredding

There are various methods utilized for hard drive destruction. Each method has specific benefits, and the choice depends on the required level of security and compliance with industry regulations:

  • Shredding: This method cuts the hard drive into tiny fragments which makes data recovery impossible.
  • Degaussing: This involves using a powerful magnetic field to erase data, though it leaves the drive physically intact.
  • Disintegration: This process pulverizes the hard drives into extremely small particles, offering a high security level. 

Hard drive shredding services are the most commonly offered service of the three, and are usually the most accessible for organizations. But is the act alone enough to guarantee your peace of mind?

Prevention of Data Breaches

Data breaches have become prevalent in current years. The risks associated with improperly disposed hard drives have likewise escalated. Without adequate hard drive disposal services, organizations expose themselves to several risks:

  • Data Recovery: Criminals often use sophisticated tools to recover data from your inadequately disposed hard drives.
  • Reputational Damage: Data breaches can eat at customer trust and lead to losses.
  • Financial Penalties: Organizations may fall under regulatory scrutiny or fined for failing to comply with data protection laws.

Destroying data completely is a challenge. But this can be circumvented if you use professional hard drive shredding service providers. This partnership with a reliable ITAD services provider both diminishes these risks while reinforcing a company’s commitment to data security.

Morgan Stanley’s Data Breach: A Closer Look

One of the most prominent cases is that of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MSSB), whose catastrophic data breaches linked to its IT asset disposition practices have often been used as a lesson for organizations on how NOT to do the process. Over the years, MSSB’s mishandling of IT asset disposal led to significant financial ruin, totaling over $163 million in fines and settlements.

The firm was fined $35 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in response to incidents where unqualified vendors improperly managed the decommissioning of devices containing sensitive customer data. Some devices, retaining unencrypted personal information, were even sold online after being inadequately handled.

Where They Failed

The root of Morgan Stanley’s issues can be traced back to decisions made during the decommissioning of two data centers in 2016. MSSB hired a moving company with no expertise in secure IT asset disposal, leading to unencrypted devices being sold to third parties instead of being securely wiped or destroyed. This negligence allowed sensitive information like Social Security numbers and financial data to potentially fall into the wrong hands, raising significant compliance and reputational risks for the bank.

Systemic Oversights and Legal Punishments

The SEC highlighted alarming gaps in what Morgan Stanley could have seen as a minor oversight. There was the failure to monitor the inventory as well as tracking decommissioned assets that should have confirmed the secure hard drive destruction. In addition, the company’s lack of rigorous controls and due diligence when selecting vendors added to the risk. This situation has served as a cautionary tale for many businesses about the importance of vetting ITAD vendors and to implement fortified mechanisms that see the secure IT asset disposal services carried out until the very end.

Recommendations and Lessons Learned

Such incidents emphasize the necessity for organizations to establish a stringent  IT asset disposal policy that conforms to regulatory standards. From this example, we learn that it is vital for businesses to:

  • Conduct detailed vendor assessments to ensure IT asset disposition companies possess the required certifications and compliance measures.
  • Implement strict inventory tracking and monitoring systems to monitor the chain of custody for all disposed assets.
  • Educate employees about the significance of following secure IT disposal policy and the risks associated with data mishandling.

Organizations are urged to take proactive measures to enhance their ITAD protocols, if only to avoid repeating such costly mistakes.

What should we look for in an ITAD provider? Our TOP 3 key characteristics.

1. Compliance and Certifications 

Check your ITAD provider for compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act laws. They must follow industry standards and regulations strictly when it comes to data protection and electronic waste disposal. 

Look for these certifications as these providers clearly demonstrate a commitment to industry best practices and ensures they are equipped to handle sensitive data responsibly:

  • ISO 9001: Quality management standards.
  • ISO 14001: Environmental management systems.
  • NAID Certification: Data destruction companies that meet stringent standards for secure document and data destruction.

2. Secure Data Destruction Processes 

It is crucial to evaluate the methods employed by the provider. Effective data destruction is a core function of any reputable reputable ITAD provider so check if they offer:

  • Shredding and Wiping: The provider should offer a combination of data wiping and physical destruction such as shredding hard drives and other media. This multi-layered approach ensures that data cannot be reconstructed, safeguarding sensitive information.
  • Documented Procedures: It is important to have documented processes that outline how data destruction is carried out. This MUST include certificates of destruction provided after the process. This documentation serves as essential evidence of compliance and can be used for audits.

3. Sustainability Practices 

Sustainability practices should be a priority when evaluating ITAD service providers given the environmental impact of electronic waste. A responsible ITAD provider takes steps to minimize their environmental footprint and ensures proper recycling processes for disposed of equipment.

  • Zero Landfill Policies: Many reputable ITAD providers adopt policies aimed at achieving zero landfill waste by reusing and recycling as much material as possible.
  • Partnership with Recyclers: Look for providers that collaborate with reputable recycling partners who adhere to environmentally friendly practices that ensure your electronic waste is handled appropriately.

Other Top Tips

Ensuring that data is completely wiped out is the utmost priority for maintaining data security. While physical hard drive destruction or shredding is a stellar enough method, several other techniques can be utilized to guarantee thorough hard drive destruction and the data they hold within. Here are some effective methods:

1. Data Wiping Software

Using specialized data wiping software that can effectively overwrite data on the storage medium. This process involves writing new data over the existing data multiple times to make recovery virtually impossible.

  • Overwriting Methods: Look for software that supports various overwriting standards, such as:
    • NIST 800-88: This standard recommends multiple overwrite passes for secure erasure.
    • Gutmann Method: Overwrites the disk a whopping 35 times with random data patterns to thwart potential recovery.
    • Verification: Ensure the software includes a verification step to confirm that the overwriting process was successful and that no recoverable data remains.

2. Degaussing

This is a process that uses a powerful magnetic field to disrupt the magnetic domains of a storage device and erases all data stored on it effectively. This method is primarily applicable to magnetic storage media. Degaussing renders the hard drive unusable; hence, it is essential for organizations that do use this means to not need to reuse the device afterward. This method is typically used for high-security environments where data confidentiality is top priority. 

3. Secure Erase Commands

For solid-state drives (SSDs), using built-in secure erase commands can be a very effective way to wipe data securely. This command uses the drive’s firmware to erase stored information. The great thing about this is it is non-destructive in most cases. Secure erase commands typically preserve the integrity of the drive for future use while ensuring that all stored data is unrecoverable. Although, as a tip, ensure that the command is appropriate for the specific SSD model or it could leave residual data.

4. Physical Destruction

In addition to hard disk shredding, other forms of physical destruction can be used. 

  • Pulping or Chemical Destruction: pulp-based destruction or chemical processes can be utilized for organizations that require the utmost security.
  • Incineration: the burning of electronic devices in certified facilities to ensure complete destruction of all data.

5. Disposal Documentation and Auditing

Maintain comprehensive documentation of the data destruction process to ensure that all steps were followed correctly and to provide an audit trail. Always ask for Certificates of Destruction from IT asset disposal vendors that detail the methods used for data wiping or destruction. This documentation is crucial for compliance purposes.

Periodic Audits should likewise be conducted on a regular basis to review data destruction policies and processes. This ensures your company remains adhered to best practices and regulatory requirements.

Our Footnotes

In summary, hard drive shredding is an indispensable practice for businesses to protect sensitive information. By employing secure shredding methods, organizations can effectively safeguard against data breaches and ensure that confidential data is irretrievable. However, it is also important to understand that aside from shredding, various techniques can be employed to guarantee complete data destruction. And if this cannot be done in-house, or if your company is not confident enough about doing it on your own, you have the option to partner with trusted ITAD providers such as us here at RSD2. Employing us and a combination of these methods can provide higher levels of assurance against data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information.


Recommended Resources for Reading:

Why Hard Drive Destruction is Crucial for Data Security. Cali. (2024)

Data Destruction: Definition, Importance, and Benefits – Shred-it. (2024)

90% of companies fail at ITAD | Brad Cohen posted on the topic. Brad Cohen. (2024)

Lessons from Morgan Stanley’s Data Breach – Securis. Lisa Bream. (2022)

.Securing Data During Equipment Disposal: ITAD Best Practices for …Summit 360. (2025)  

Evaluating ITAD Companies and Other Lessons from the Morgan … Kristina Picciotti. (2021)

Morgan Stanley names ITAD vendor behind its data loss incident. (2021)

Navigating ITAD: What to Look for in an IT Asset Disposition Provider. Georgia Kate Kent. (n.d.).

10 things to look for in a top ITAD company | Restore Technology. john. (2024)

What is ITAD? Best Practices and its Importance. Chris Menninger. (2025)

16 Wipe Methods – DiskDeleter. (2024)

The DoD Wiping Standard: Everything You Need to Know – Blancco. 93digital. (2024)




The Art of Hard Drive Shredding: Is This Process Enough?

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