Degaussing Hard Drives
Hard drives and other electronic storage devices such as computer tapes store data within magnetic fields. Such storage mediums contain layers of magnetic material. By arranging the specific direction of these tiny magnetic materials, a drive can store millions of binary data bits. A hard drive retains this data only if the magnetic fields are kept in their precise order.
A degaussing machine subjects a hard drive to a high-intensity magnetic field, completely rearranging the entire magnetic structure of the drive. The degausser randomizes the patterns of magnetization by applying alternating fields of powerful magnetic amplitude. The end result is irrecoverable data.
Once a drive has been degaussed, it can no longer be used for storage.
Five Important Facts about Degaussing
- Can data on a degaussed drive be recovered? No. Once a drive has been degaussed, it is impossible to retrieve the data.
- Can a degaussed disk be used after degaussing? No. A degaussed drive is inoperable in any system. The magnetic erasure rearranges the magnetic field to such an extent that standard read heads are unable to find a magnetic reference point for tracking.
- Does running an ordinary magnet over a hard drive accomplish degaussing? No. Standard magnets are not powerful enough to degauss a hard drive. Only an industrial degausser can guarantee the erasure of data.
- Can any degausser erase data? No. In order to be completely effective, a degausser should emit magnetic strength that is two or three times greater than the magnetic intensity of the hard drive. Some commercially-available degaussers are too weak to ensure that the data is erased. It is important to use an NSA-recommended degausser.
- Why is degaussing important? Degaussing is the first step in completely destroying data. Due to regulations such as HIPAA, the GLB-Act, and NSA requirements, destroying sensitive data is required by law.
Use a Degaussing Wand
Degaussing wands are convenient in the sense that they are a portable, hand-held device that is able to wipe data off of hard disk platters. For the degausser wand to be effective, you must first remove the hard drive casing to reveal the hard drive platters.
Benefits:
Portable
Weighs less than a pound
Requires no electrical output
Reasonably priced
