When it’s time to retire outdated or unused hard drives, the stakes are high. Sensitive data, proprietary information, and customer records don’t disappear just because a device is unplugged. For tech companies and enterprise organizations alike, secure data destruction isn’t optional; it’s essential.
Two popular methods for permanently destroying hard drive data are hard drive shredding and overwriting. Both serve the same purpose of ensuring that data can’t be recovered, but they go about it in very different ways. Let’s unpack how they work, what sets them apart, and why overwriting is often the superior choice.
What is Overwriting?
Overwriting data destruction involves systematically writing over existing data on a hard drive with new, meaningless data. This method ensures that the original data cannot be recovered or reconstructed. At TAMS, whenever a drive cannot be overwritten, it is shredded to ensure complete data destruction and compliance with security protocols.
Overwriting offers practical, operational, and environmental advantages that shredding can’t match. At TAMS, our overwriting process includes:
• Real-time tracking and portal access so you can view Certificates of Data Destruction and asset reconciliation reports whenever needed.
• NAID AAA, ISO, and R2v3 certifications, ensuring rigorous industry-standard compliance and peace of mind.
• Processes that follow NIST 800-88 clear and purge guidelines, guaranteeing that data is irretrievable.
• Potential for hardware reuse, which maximizes value recovery.
Reusing hardware, when feasible, is the best method of recycling, as it extends the life of the equipment and reduces environmental impact.
And perhaps most importantly—zero data breaches in over 22 years of operation. When you overwrite with TAMS, you’re not just destroying data. You’re safeguarding your reputation, supporting environmental sustainability, and maximizing value from end-of-life IT assets.
What is Hard Drive Shredding?
Hard drive shredding is a physical destruction method that involves feeding drives through an industrial shredder, which grinds them into tiny, unusable fragments. It’s straightforward, tangible, and final. There’s no ambiguity: once a drive is shredded, there’s no recovering the data.
At TAMS, we take shredding seriously. We offer in-house and mobile shredding services, meaning our secure process can come directly to your site. Clients also have the option to witness the destruction, adding another layer of assurance to the process.
So, Which Is Better? Overwriting or Shredding?
Each method has its place, but for most modern organizations, overwriting emerges as the most comprehensive and versatile solution.
Here’s how they compare:
• Overwriting: Ensures data is irrecoverable by overwriting it, allowing for potential hardware reuse. Regular audits ensure compliance with industry standards.
• Hard Drive Shredding: Results in total physical destruction. Once shredded, there’s no way to access or recover data—ever. Overwriting works on all types of drives, including HDDs and SSDs, whereas shredding is a more straightforward but less flexible option.
Secure Data Destruction
Secure data destruction isn’t about doing the bare minimum—it’s about doing it right. Whether you’re clearing out a single rack or decommissioning an entire data center, TAMS has the expertise, the tools, and the trustworthiness to help you do it safely and responsibly. Request a quote today and see why organizations nationwide trust TAMS for secure, certified hard drive overwriting and shredding services.
