OIT Hardware Support: Data Destruction Service

To assist departments in assuring data security when computing equipment is retired or surplused, OIT is offering a new service to destroy old hard drives as well as CDs, DVDs and floppies. Using software to delete the data from a hard drive may not erase everything completely -- even if the files are invisible and you can't see them yourself. The only way to absolutely guarantee your sensitive data doesn't get into the wrong hands is to physically destroy the drive, and, believe it or not, a sledgehammer and hacksaw are often recommended to do the job!

Fortunately OIT Hardware Support now provides a more efficient and effective way to physically destroy hard drives and removeable media. A degausser (to de-magnetize) and a hard drive destroyer have been purchased so that you no longer have to worry about smashing equipment yourself.

Departments Who Wish To Destroy Drives

• The department is expected to deliver the drive(s) to Hardware Support for destruction. All the media should be removed from any cases or plastic sleeves before being dropped off.
• If the department is unable to remove the drive from the system themselves (for example an iMac), please contact the OIT Help Desk to open an OPM ticket for Hardware Support to go out and remove the drive. This constitutes a fee-based service to visit the department and remove the drive.
• Once the drive has been removed by Hardware Support, it will still be the department’s responsibility to send the system (minus the hard drive) to Surplus.

OIT Recommendations for Wiping Hard Drives before Surplusing

• OIT recommends Darik’s Boot & Nuke to wipe all Windows and Linux x86 based systems (see KB Solution 8579).
• OIT also recommends Disk Utility to wipe all Macintosh based systems. Disk Utility is available on the OS 10.4, & 10.5 DVDs.
• Darik’s Boot & Nuke is also available for older Macintosh systems which would need to utilize an x86 based system in order to wipe the drive (see KB Solution 8579).
• Hard Drives from Servers & Storage Arrays should be destroyed.
• Hardware Support will work with Surplus to destroy all currently stored drives.

OIT Recommendations for CDs, DVDs, and Floppys

• If you have any CDs, DVDs or floppy disks that have important data and would like to see them destroyed, please drop them off at Hardware Support. Remove them from any sleeves or cases and bring only the disks, where they will be shredded, the scraps collected, and sent to surplus for recycling.
• If you have any of the above media that contains information that is not important, and you do not need them destroyed and do not want to see them go in a landfill, box them up and drop them off to surplus. Surplus will send them to the recycler just as they do with the CD scraps and crushed hard drives set from Hardware Support. Please refer to the Surplus website for Surplus open hours.

For more information about the OIT Data Destruction Service and other OIT recommendations for wiping a hard drive of data, please contact Adam Re, at 8-6037 or adamre@princeton.edu.