October 29, 2025
Data Sanitization or Physical Destruction: Which Is Right?
Author
Slate Peak Asset Recovery
A practical framework for choosing a secure data-disposition method.
The method should match the media and risk
Working drives may be candidates for verified sanitization when the method fits the media and customer requirements. Sanitization can preserve a device for reuse while resolving data risk.
Some media should be destroyed
Failed, damaged, locked, obsolete, or policy-restricted media may require physical destruction. These devices should be quarantined and tracked as exceptions until processing is complete.
Evidence matters
Whatever method is selected, the record should identify the asset or media, method, result, date, and exception status. A verbal assurance is not a defensible record.
READY TO RETIRE TECHNOLOGY?
Turn the guidance into a secure ITAD plan.
Tell Slate Peak what you are retiring and we’ll help define pickup, data handling, value recovery, recycling, and reporting.
