Can Magnets Destroy Hard Drives? 5 HDD Facts

A few years ago, a technology expert at Forbes.com responded to a reader who had dropped a fridge magnet on his hard drive and wondered if it could do damage. The expert reported that a really strong magnet (with a pull force of at least 450 pounds, so nothing like the type attached to a fridge magnet), could indeed wipe a hard drive. But that kind of force would be dangerous, he said, and it was not recommended.

For a business, of course, what’s most important is the confidential data that is stored on hard drives and other electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

Here are some facts and myths about hard drives and e-media security – and protecting confidential data in the workplace.

 5 Facts & Myths About Hard Drives

1. Magnets Are Old News

The misconceptions about magnets are likely to have stemmed from old electronic devices such as CRT monitors and televisions that were susceptible to magnetic fields, according to USA Magnetix. “Most modern electronics like our smart phones are not going to be adversely affected by small magnets”.

2. Magnets Don’t Destroy Data

USA Magnetix included an interview with a company that placed large magnets on either side of a running hard drive, but the files on the drive remained 100% intact.

3. Formatting a Hard Drive Doesn’t Completely Erase a Hard Drive

A ground-breaking study tested 158 used disk drives and even though 60% of the disks were formatted before they were sold, the students conducting the study were able to access information with forensic software programs. They recovered more than 5,000 credit card numbers, medical records and other personal information on the used hard drives. 

How to wipe a hard drive? It’s not an easy task.

4. Recycling Hard Drives Is A Risk

While some companies stockpile old hard drives, others recycle them – and both practices increase the risk of a data breach. 

A UK study of second hand hard drives acquired from computer auctions and e-Bay found data which was easily recoverable on 72% of the 105 hard drives sampled.

5. Smartphones Contain Confidential Data Too

Another study undertaken at the BT Centre for Information and Security Systems Research showed that 160 used Blackberry devices purchased from online-auction sites still contained sensitive company and personal information including salary details, financial company data and personal medical details.

Smartphones are now considered standard equipment for the ever-increasing mobile workforce.

To protect confidential information on hard drives and other electronic devices and to be compliant with data protection laws, organisations today need to have a document management policy that includes secure disposal of information too. 

Electronic media and hard drive destruction is the only 100 percent secure way to destroy data on hard drives permanently.

Experts recommend partnering with a reliable hard drive destruction company that has a secure chain of custody and proper equipment for crushing and destroying outdated hardware drives and other electronic media. The hard drive destruction process should include a log of manufacturer name and serial number for each device and an itemised Certificate of Destruction.

Contact Shred-it today to learn about our professional hard drive & media destruction services.