Why We Sanitize Storage Before Recycling or Resale

The storage devices we use today don’t disappear when we “delete” something. The data stays there until we deal with it properly.

When you hit “delete,” the file disappears from your screen, but it doesn’t instantly vanish from the storage device. In many cases, the data remains until it’s overwritten or properly sanitized. This is why it’s crucial to sanitize storage devices the right way, especially when handling old drives, phones, or backup media that may still contain sensitive information.

1. Tape backups

   
   Used for: long retention cycles, compliance archives.
   Risk: tapes get lost in transport or stored in boxes with no inventory.
   Sanitization options:
   • Degaussing
   • Shredding for expired archives

2. External SSDs (NVMe/SATA enclosures)

   
   Used for: fast snapshots, small VM backups.
   Risk: SSD controllers scatter data, so “erase” commands don’t clear all blocks.
   Sanitization options:
   • Certified wiping
   • Physical shredding when unstable or not wipe-able

3. Mobile device backups (phones/tablets)

   
   Used for: field operations, BYOD data, messaging logs.
   Risk: old phones get resold or handed down with business data still inside.
   Sanitization options:
   • Certified wiping
   • Shredding for locked or damaged devices

4. NAS devices (with multiple HDDs/SSDs inside)

   
   Used for: team backups, small office archives.
   Risk: the disks inside often outlive the NAS chassis and get forgotten during upgrades.
   Sanitization options:
   • Wiping individual disks
   • Crushing or shredding failed disks

5. Cloud backups

   
   Used for: disaster recovery, remote work continuity.
   Risk: people forget that endpoint devices still hold synced copies even after cloud deletion.
   Sanitization options:
   • Wiping or shredding endpoint hardware at end-of-life

6. External hard drives (HDDs)

   
   Used for: daily/weekly backups, offsite copies.
   Risk: deleted files remain recoverable; drives often sit untouched for years.
   Sanitization options:
   • Wiping
   • Degaussing
   • Shredding or crushing

Why we sanitize before recycling or resale

Every storage medium keeps traces of its past. In our work with enterprises, hospitals, banks, and public institutions, most incidents come from retired devices that “look empty” but still contain working data.

Destruction methods we use when a device reaches its end

• Wiping
• Degaussing
• Shredding or crushing

We provide Compliant ITAD services, E-waste processing, Device Remarketing, Data Destruction.

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