8 Ways to Destroy a Device
Data handling on your devices is a hectic task for people. With so many hacking techniques and other ways to steal data, it is important to learn ways to ensure proper data handling and destroy it according to the country’s laws.
There are two main ways to destroy a device: either mechanically wiping off its existence or deleting the data it holds. We will discuss both of these here.
Ways to Destroy a Device
Wiping off the Data
This is not typically a destroying technique but is intended to destroy data so the device can be reused. We must know the significance of the waste physical destruction causes; it is always better to reuse any device model until it is beyond the repair and reuse process. Then you can put it up on a recycling waste company to apply the state rules of destroying the device.
Hitting the Reset Button
Perform factory resets, disk wiping, hard reset, or cleaning software techniques to get a new device out of an old one. Since most of the devices are of advanced technology, they have a fully functioning reset procedure that can clear the internal storage and wipe out the existence of the previous user with just a tap or a click.
Overwriting The Data on The Devices
It may not be true for all electronic devices, but most devices such as phones, laptops, CDs, USBs, SSDs, HDDs, and computers contain memory. To clear the devices’ memory, overwrite another random binary code over the data so that it can be difficult to decipher it for the hackers.
Data Encryption
Encryption is another way to protect your data from getting into someone’s hands. There is a possibility that some of the information wasn’t deleted from the device after a factory reset, so encrypt the data before you perform a reset. You can find the encryption procedure tutorials for your relevant device on the internet.
Electronic Shredding
Beginning with the series of mechanical destruction of devices that does not include a hammer as most videos on the internet feature “the best way to destroy a device.”
Electronic shredding is the future of destroying the physical evidence of a device. Whether a laptop, smartphone, tablet, hard drive, or USB, shredding is a cost-efficient, safe and convenient method of disposing of a device.
Shredding companies have a specific machine tool with razor-sharp blades that ensure the disassembly of a device by turning it into micro-sized metal particles. Companies also sign a surety contract to make data handling a confidential activity.
Degaussing
Next on the list is the use of a magnet degausser that scrambles the data on the device. Every device has a board that contains memory chips made of magnetic materials. When a strong electromagnet is brought near a device, it disrupts the magnetic field of the magnets on the circuit boards.
Melting
Certain compounds, such as concentrated hydrochloric acid or nitric acid, allow the device to erode them. When immersed in these mixtures of corrosive acids, the platter of the inner circuits is destroyed beyond repair. However, be cautious while handling the substances.
Disintegration
The disintegrators are larger versions of shredders that require more energy and a large ventilation system to destroy the device. Shredders are for a small number of things, while a disintegrator machine with a conveyor and blade knives can handle multiple shredding of devices. There are separate facilities for disintegration.