How Hard Drive Degaussers Can Protect Legacy IT Systems

Hard drive degaussers are a powerful tool that can be used to protect legacy IT systems by destroying sensitive data from old hard drives magnetically. The process of degaussing works by exposing the hard drive to a strong magnetic field, which scrambles the data on the platters and makes it unreadable. This process is irreversible, and there is no way to recover the data once it has been degaussed — providing a high level of security for organizations that want to completely dispose of old hard drives and the information stored within them.

Degaussers can also be used by different industries that want to protect the personal data they hold of clients from patient records to banking information. Models like the DataGauss LG Max and the V91 Max from Verity Systems are widely used today for this purpose.

Where Hard Drive Degaussers Can Be of Use

Hard drive degaussers can be used in a variety of settings:

• Businesses: Businesses that need to securely dispose of old hard drives can use degaussers to ensure that sensitive data is not lost or stolen.
• Government agencies: Government agencies that handle sensitive data, such as classified information, can use hard drive degaussers to protect that data from unauthorized access.
• Individuals: Individuals who want to protect their personal data from prying eyes can use degaussers to erase data from old hard drives, such as laptops and desktops by removing the disks and individually degaussing them with an appropriate machine.

How Hard Drive Degaussing Can Be Used in a Business Context

In a business context, hard drive degaussers can be used to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. For example, when a business is disposing of old hard drives, they can use a degausser to ensure that the data on the drives is completely erased. This helps to protect the business from data breaches and other security risks associated with the mishandling of data.

In addition to protecting sensitive data, hard drive degaussers can also be used to comply with data security regulations. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare organizations to protect the privacy of patient data. Hard drive degaussers can be used to help healthcare organizations comply with HIPAA by erasing data from old hard drives and documenting the destruction process in a transparent way.

How to Choose a Hard Drive Degausser

When choosing a hard drive degausser, there are a few factors to consider, including:

• The types of the hard drives you need to degauss: Degaussers come in a variety of sizes and capabilities, so you need to choose one that is designed to accommodate HDD and/or tape degaussing.
• The accessibility of the degausser: Depending on the use case, some degaussers may be too cumbersome for the individual user, so it is important to know whether they can be operated in an office environment or at home for example.
• The price of the degausser: Degaussers can range in price from a few thousands dollars to over $10,000 or more. You need to choose a degausser that fits your budget and provides a level of data destruction to suit your needs. For government agencies seeking to protect national security, the very highest level of degaussing with a 10,000 Gauss force or above is recommended.

Conclusion

Hard drive degaussers are valuable tools that can be used to protect legacy IT systems by destroying sensitive data from old hard drives magnetically. Degaussing is a secure and irreversible way to erase data, and it is essential for businesses and individuals who need to protect and destroy their data with this added layer of security.

Photo credit: © Helena Lopes