A UK IT manager, Ross Waterton, has devised a homemade solution for disposing of hard drives with highly confidential information. Bustadrive is a device that uses a powerful “hydraulic punch” to destroy the hard disk, making it unreadable. All it takes is a pull of the lever on the front and the hard drive is deformed.
Andrew Speedie, a security controller, explains that there are two ways of recovering data – keyboard recovery and lab recovery. Keyboard recovery is not possible when the hard drive is mangled and won’t fit into the PC. Lab recovery can be done with an electron scanning microscope but costs about £40,000. Using this technique to recover data takes a great deal of time and money.
Bustadrive retails for $325 which is a small price to pay when you have digital information that you want to ensure is securely disposed.
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A very good simple device, but it goes against the grain to destroy things that can be recycled or reused. Whilst data destruction by wiping to sufficient standards takes a long time it does leave the equipment available for reuse.
Destruction should be considered the last ditch attempt for highly classified or already faulty devices.
You make a valid point, I’m not sure how many consumers would take the destroyed hard drives to be recycled, many would probably just toss them.
I was reading about a media destruction service that will shred hard drives and reuse the particulates for recycling and energy generation so there is a value in recycling these destroyed hard drives, it’s just that more awareness is needed.
Get a torx screwdriver and unscrew the drive and remove the platens. Then shred & mangle the actual disks. The case is a very high grade (valuable) aluminum – ensure all iron is out of it and recycle it at a local scrap dealer, dispose of electronic board with hazardous waste collection. Use the magnets on your refrigerator (don’t pinch your fingers!). Shredding the whole drive wastes that aluminum (they can’t get the iron out).