IT & Data Center
Secure Data Destruction & Hard Drive Shredding
NAID AAA certified, with our own industrial shredder on site. NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 methodology, witnessed if you want it, documented per device.
Deleting a file does not remove it. Reformatting a drive does not remove it. A drive pulled from a decommissioned server and left in a box is a breach waiting for someone to open the box.
We destroy data to a defined standard, using the method appropriate to the media, and we document it per device — because the destruction is only half the deliverable. The record is the other half.
The destruction happens on our own shredding equipment at our Arlington facility. That distinction matters more than it sounds: a great many companies selling data destruction in Texas are arranging it rather than doing it, which puts an extra hand-off between your drives and the shredder.
Media we destroy
- Hard disk drives — SATA, SAS, SCSI, all form factors
- Solid state drives, M.2 and NVMe
- Backup tape — LTO, DLT and legacy formats
- Optical media — CD, DVD, Blu-ray
- Mobile phones and tablets
- USB drives, memory cards and flash media
- Server and array-embedded storage
- Copier and MFP hard drives
- ID badges, access cards and credentials
Methods, and when each applies
Clear
Logical overwrite using verified software. Appropriate when media will be reused inside the organization and the data classification permits it.
Purge
Degaussing or firmware-level sanitization that renders data unrecoverable by laboratory techniques. Appropriate when media leaves the organization intact.
Destroy
Physical shredding to particle size. The only method appropriate for SSDs where verified purge is unavailable, and the default for high-classification data.
Verify and document
Results verified and logged per device. Serial numbers captured. Certificate of Destruction issued.
The details that matter to a security team
Our own shredder, our own building
Media is destroyed at our facility on our equipment under our certification — not routed to a third party who issues the certificate.
SSD-aware
Degaussing does nothing to a solid state drive. Method is chosen by media type, and we will tell you when a method your policy specifies is not actually effective.
Or at your site, if policy requires
Mobile destruction brings the process to you when media cannot leave your building intact.
Per-device documentation
Serial-level records, not a blanket statement covering a pallet.
Secure Data Destruction — common questions
Is degaussing enough to destroy data?
For magnetic media — traditional spinning hard drives and tape — a properly rated degausser renders data unrecoverable. For solid state drives it does essentially nothing, because SSDs store data in flash cells rather than magnetically. SSDs require verified firmware sanitization or physical destruction. Any vendor offering to degauss your SSDs is telling you something important about their competence.
What is the difference between Clear, Purge and Destroy?
They are the three sanitization categories in NIST SP 800-88. Clear is a logical overwrite that defeats ordinary recovery tools, suitable for internal reuse. Purge defeats laboratory recovery techniques, suitable when media leaves your control intact. Destroy is physical destruction. The right choice depends on data classification and on what happens to the media next.
Do you provide a Certificate of Destruction?
Yes, on every job, listing serial numbers, method, date and responsible personnel.
Can you destroy drives at our facility?
Yes. Mobile shredding and degaussing come to you, and your representative witnesses destruction before media leaves the building.
How small are the shredded particles?
Particle size is matched to the media and to your requirement — SSDs need a substantially smaller particle than spinning drives, because a surviving flash chip can retain recoverable data. Tell us your standard and we will confirm we meet it.
Related services
IT Asset Disposition (ITAD)
Retire IT assets with the data destroyed, the value recovered, the environmental chain certified and the paperwork ready for audit.
Data Center Decommissioning
Rack-to-slab decommissioning with serialized chain of custody, NIST SP 800-88 sanitization, and reporting your auditor will accept.
Certified Destruction
When something must be proven destroyed — not merely discarded — you need a witness, a method and a document. We provide all three.
Tell us what you have.
Send photos, a nameplate, a rack count or an asset list. You will get a written response from a person who has read it — within one business day, usually the same day.
