Secure Destruction FAQ: Degaussing

As our third method of data destruction, degaussing can be quick, efficient, and cost-effective for your business. However, it doesn’t work on all types of assets bearing data. Is degaussing the right solution for your ITAD project?

Eric Dorn, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Sipi Asset Recovery helps to answer that question:

Degaussing FAQ

Q: Can you explain the process of degaussing?
A: Degaussing uses a magnetic charge to scramble the zeroes and ones of a data-bearing asset which both scrambles the resident data and renders the device unusable.

Q: Which asset disposition issue does this address?
A: Degaussing is a cost-effective and rapid solution to use when destroying data-bearing assets. Although, hard drives that are degaussed cannot be re-used.

Q: What are the missing elements or concerns with this method?
A: Degaussing is ineffective and not a recorded method for certain data-bearing assets such as SSD and new technologies (HAMR and MAMR drives). In addition, you can’t physically tell if the data is completely wiped, supplemental methods of destruction may be necessary.

Q: When and why would an enterprise use Method 3?
A: The degaussing process is fast – you can degauss a drive in a matter of seconds. This method also eliminates many environmental impacts. Degaussing can be a fast and sufficient data destruction method in many environments, especially those with a minimal amount of SSD or HAMR/MAMR devices.