What is a hard drive actually? How does it work? How can you protect your data?  These questions are extremely relevent to you own personal or business data security. 

What is a hard drive?  The hard drive is a piece of computer related hardware responsible for storing information about your computer or cell phone etc.  Basically it consists of a couple of boards, a platter for storing data and a write head which actually transfers electronic data to your platter for later use.

How does a hard drive work? The hard drive in your personal computer or business computer functions much like a cd player in your car or the cd/dvd drive on your computer!  To put it simply a hard drive contains a "platter" or disc which stores electronic data ( a series of 1's and 0's along with a few other characters) written in partitions (picture a pie already cut into slices, each slice would be a partition) and saved making data such as documents, applications and computer programs accessable to users. 

Destroying your electronic data should involve two aspects, a secure, thorough data destruciton process and responsible disposal of the hard ware.  Protecting your personal or business data is extremely important and should never be overlooked.  Ensuring data security is easier than you think, yet some commonly used data destruction or "hard drive destruction" practices are comically uneffective and harmful to your local environment!

Searching the internet for "hard drive destruction" or "how to destroy a hard drive" will often land you on a youtube video of some fellow with a hammer attempting to smash his home computer's hard drive. While this approach may serve as a stress reliever and a good 2 minutes of online entertainment, there are much more safe and effective ways to securely and responsibly dispose of an old or sensitive hard drive. 

Destroying your hard drive data and disposing of the left over hard ware should be single process.  Simply tossing your self destroyed hard drive in the house hold garbage contributes to the growing amount of electronic waste (ewaste) found in landfills.  Currently ewaste contribute 1% of U.S. landfills however they account for 70% of the toxins found in our landfills.  As our world population continues to become ever more dependent on electronics the amount of electronic waste produced is expected to grow world wide by 17 percent in the next five years.

By contacting a compliant electronics recycling company, one which is EPA certified and compliant with NIST/HIPAA data destruction processes you can assure data security and responsible recycling of your hazardous ewaste. 

How to really destroy hard drive data?  This question leads to the common misconception that the data on your hard drive can be "destroyed."  The only way to thoroughly and compliantly "destroy" your data is through an electronic process, often refered to as "ghosting" or "whiping,"  simply formating your hard drive     DOES NOT render your personal or business data unobtainable!  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have written a set of standards defining data destruction requirements for personal and business electronic data destruction.

The term "electronic data destruction," actually refers to a process of re-writing a random series of 1's, 0's and a few other characters over the current data stored on your hard drive platter.  To comply with the US standards compliant electronic recyclers are required to run a re-write, completing this process satisfies NIST, HIPAA, FERPA, FACTA and SOX (industry specific regulation boards) electronic data destruction requirements and recommendations.  Using a compliant or certified electronic recycling service assures your data will be securely "destroyed."

Remember when it comes to data security and electronics recycling, contact a certified electronics recycling service.  Some electronics recycling services will even offer a certificate of secure data destruction!  Secure your data and Recycle Responsibly!

Electronics Recycling...The Basics.

The question of how to recycle an electronic device is becoming ever more frequent.   Whether its your desktop computer, handy laptop or the can't live without smartphone that has become out of date or broken there is an appropriate disposal process for unused or out of date electronics. 

First lets discuss some of the common types of electronics you may interact with on a daily basis, and may even throw away (shame on you.)  For starters, if you're reading this you're probably interacting with atleast five personal electronic items: your keyboard, mouse, crt or lcd monitor, dektop laptop or tower computer, most likely a pair of speakers, a modem and a wireless router...and that's a basic setup.  The items listed are only the items in the same room as you.  For you to read this article, somewhere in your area is a networking hub transfering my file from a server, located somewhere I've never been, through various other networking hubs and it somehow all arrives in front of your eyes through your crt or lcd display in a matter of seconds.   

Here is a basic list of the common types of computer peripherals you interact with daily, whether you're aware of it or not. 

• Cables
• Circuit boards
• Computers
• Laptops
• LCD screens
• Modems
• Monitors
• Motherboards
• Networking Hardware
• Servers
• Telecommunication Equipment
• Telephones
• Wiring
• Cell Phones

Located inside of everyone of the items listed above, are toxins such as lead, cadmium, mercury and berryilium, just to name a few.  Common knowledge tells us these elements since not allowed in landfills should not be thrown in a trash can or dumpster.  So how does one dispose of a wireless router struck by lightning?  Its only a one word explanation: RECYCLE! Recycling electronics is a simple process. 

Step A: Gather up all of old, broken or unwanted electronics, Step B: Call an electronics recycler servicing your area, Step C:  Arrange for free pickup (This service is only offered by select electronics recyclers, and is often based on amount of material to be recycled) or simply drop your things off at an electronics recycling facility near you. 

Things to consider when disposing of electronics with an electronics recycler include secure data destruction and environmentally friendly recycling practices. 

Secure data destruction means the recycler destroys hard drive data either by a rewrite program often refered to as a NIST wipe or by physical hard drive destruction, often carried out through drilling the hard drive or running it through a commercial style shredder (hint: your home paper shreader will not work.)

Real electronics recyclers recycle EVERYTHING, meaning every type of electronic, they won't pick and choose what you can and can't leave with them.  Often so called recyclers will pick the cherries and dispose of the remainder of your electronics in a roll away dumpster located out of the public view.  Avoid companies refusing to take your peripherals and electronic recycleables.  

Find a recycler servicing your area by using a phonebook or a google search.  Your best bet is to search terms with your area and the phrase, for example: "computer recycling service" or "Dallas Electronics Recycling Service."

Go Green and Recycle your Electronics Responsibly!

STS Electronic Recycling Provides Computer and Electronics Recycling Services

Safe, Thorough, Secure. Recycling Electronics securely and in an environmentally friendly way can be easy. STS Electronic Recycling assures electronics received are processed above and beyond EPA standards. Please contact STS Electronic Recycling at 903 589 3705.

• Electric light ballast
• Cables
• Circuit boards
• Computers
• Laptops
• LCD screens
• Modems
• Monitors
• Motherboards
• Networking Hardware
• Servers
• Telecommunication Equipment
• Telephones
• Wiring
• Cell phones