Degaussing Service
SF Bay Area

Degaussing - a Critical Element of Total Data Destruction

DRM is proud to offer services that provide full hard drive and tape degaussing. We use NSA approved hard drive degaussers to process your data, and these pieces of equipment are re-certified each year by a third party. We are able to satisfy DoD regulations and guidelines by using a two-step process of degaussing followed by shredding. Agencies like the CIA, FBI, and NSA all use degaussing to ensure sensitive data is permanently destroyed. The specialized destruction vehicles that we use feature degaussers that are capable of destroying both tapes and media.

Degaussing - What is it?

Magnetic media, including items such as hard drives and floppy disks, store data by having small areas known as magnetic domains adjust their magnetic alignment to be in the direction of an applied magnetic field. It works in a similar fashion to how a compass needle points toward the direction of the Earth's magnetic field. The process of degaussing takes those domains and leaves them in random patterns, having no preference for orientation. This makes the data previously contained in the media unrecoverable. Some domains represent something called magnetic remanence, meaning they are not randomized after degaussing. When degaussing is done correctly, there will not be sufficient magnetic remanence to recreate the data.

Effective Hard Drive Degaussing Services from DRM

Most corporations are concerned with asset recovery as it relates to surplus electronics and computer equipment. However, not all equipment holds resale value after a certain amount of time has passed. For components lacking in resale value, degaussing hard drives is an important part of a data destruction strategy.

Physical destruction of your media is also offered by DRM as another level of security for your data. Because the exterior of the hard drive is not physically altered during the process of degaussing, both degaussed and non-degaussed media will look the same from the outside. By bending the drive in half during physical destruction, the visual proof is given that the hard drive has been completely sanitized. Also, by having the media physically destroyed, you can be sure no one will ever try to recover the data.

To speak with a specialist about your digital data destruction needs, contact us today at (415) 366-8120. You are also welcome to fill out the request form that can be found below on this page and you will be promptly contacted by a data security professional.