Hard Drive Certificate of Destruction —What’s the Purpose?
A certificate of destruction is an official statement summarizing the details of your hard drive destruction project. It is issued by your service provider when your project is complete. The document serves as verification of proper hard drive destruction in compliance with data privacy laws and regulations.
When you trust a company to handle your hard drive destruction project, it is important to know the process will be documented and reported to you. Be sure you are using a certified company that offers a detailed certificate of destruction with every job.
What’s Included?
For legal compliance and effective record-keeping, a certificate of destruction should contain the following information:
- Transfer of custody showing when and where the client turned over materials for destruction
- Confirmation from the destruction company accepting the materials and agreeing they are private and confidential
- A reference to terms and conditions for the client and the company
- A time and date stamp for collection and destruction
- The location of destruction
- Witnesses of the destruction process
- Chain of custody details
- Serialized transaction number
Based on laws and regulations for your industry, the requirements for documentation may vary. Talk with your chosen provider about the details they include to ensure you are covered.
Certified Compliance
Hard drive destruction should be completed in compliance with data privacy laws. Your certificate of destruction will help your business maintain legal compliance.
There are many rules and regulations governing data destruction. These laws secure your private information by preventing companies from throwing away accessible information. Verify that your destruction provider complies with the following laws:
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)
- Fair and Accurate Transactions Act (FACTA)
- Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
- Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002
- Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)
- National Security Association/Department of Defense
Most states have additional laws regulating data disposal. You can find your state’s disposal laws here.
What’s the Purpose?
Data privacy laws exist to protect your private information from being misused. Hard drive destruction mitigates the risks of your data being stolen or leaked to protect you and your business reputation. The certificate of destruction is an additional layer in the protection provided with hard drive destruction services.
A certificate of destruction will prove that you went through the proper channels to dispose of your data and protect yourself in the event of an audit or legal action.
Find Certified Hard Drive Destruction Services Near You
ShredTronics partners with certified and reliable hard drive destruction providers throughout the United States. Contact us by calling (844) 648-4908 to learn more about our providers and secure hard drive destruction. We will connect you with local providers and send you free quotes on services within minutes.