What do copiers and computers have in common? It’s not what you think…

A guy walks into the copier room and notices a new copier machine. He yells back to his office mates, “Hey, when did we get this new copier?” The copier says “Hey, when did we get this new copier?”

Okay all jokes aside, copiers are great. What would we do without the ability to copy things, whether that be a document, photo or even your own voice? (okay maybe not the last one) For all their greatness and versatility, they do have one big downside. What many people don’t know is that copiers have hard drives in them, similar to your computer or phone. This means every single thing that gets copied, scanned, emailed or faxed can also get saved on that hard drive.   Businesses typically enter sensitive information into the copiers address book as well. Names, email addresses, and fax numbers are some examples.  Not deleting that potentially sensitive info could mean a data breach that you never saw coming.

There a few ways to go about deleting data on a photocopier, but one is superior to the others. Here are your options:

• Software overwrite: This software overwrites your confidential data with random characters. While it’s a convenient way to make stealing your data difficult, it doesn’t make it impossible. Also not all software provides you with an erasure report, which is a necessary file for regulatory compliance or if you get audited.
• Degausser: This is a machine that emits a powerful electromagnetic field which erases the magnetic data on a hard drive. The right model with a strong enough electromagnetic field can totally eliminate the data on your copier. However, the right model doesn’t usually come with the right price; and this costly machine can damage any nearby equipment. No erasure report is provided with this method either.
• Hard drive destruction: Destruction is the only secure and sure-fire way to eliminate data from a hard drive resulting in an unreadable pile of debris. Large amounts of media can be deleted at once, so you can easily add your copier’s hard drive in with computer hard drives you may be planning to destroy. Also, outsourcing this method to a professional services company ensures you’ll get a Certificate of Destruction which serves as proof of your compliance and corporate due diligence.

There’s more than one way to delete data. But there’s only one way you can trust. Stevens & Stevens Business Records Management provides hard drive destruction services with GPS tracked alarmed vehicles, professional staff trained in security procedures and adherence to National Institute Standards and Technology standards. Give us a call to learn more: (855) 573-3900