Me: I need information on our drive shredding vendor and procedure.
Security: We don't have a drive shredding vendor. You should install Linux from a USB drive, wipe the drive and then encrypt it before drilling it.
Me: Wot? Why?
Security: You can't trust vendors.
Me: OK, can we hand them over to the PD for melting down?
Security: Wot? How is that secure?
If you are wondering - sending drives to a vendor to shred or a PD to melt is risk mitigation.
Telling end users to install Linux, wipe and then encrypt their drives, then drill them equals - drill the drives (so no one can check the other parts were done) and own the risk of that.
Complexity discourages compliance. 🤷
And even ad-hoc drive shredding is about $10-15 per drive. About $5 or so if you have a contract with a vendor in place.
And you get all the security of THEIR insurance and accountability if something happens to your data.
@Cosmichomicide huh--far out. TIL
If you are asking about an individual - just find a local Shred-It or such. Even a $20 charge is worth the peace of mind.
Or just drill it and send it with your electronics recycling.
Secure drive shredding is a corporate/institutional IT thing, where it's offloading risk.
Side note - drilling doesn't do anything with respect to SSDs. Have those things shredded.
@rpardee
Yup - most do gun and drug destruction and have the ability to melt those drives as well.