Erasure is the option that keeps equipment useful. Instead of destroying the drive, the software writes over every addressable sector of a hard drive, or triggers the sanitise and cryptographic erase commands built into SSDs and NVMe drives, then reads back to check the data has gone. Hidden areas, such as host protected areas and remapped sectors, are dealt with as part of the process.
What makes it certified is the evidence. Each device gets a tamper-resistant report showing the drive serial number, the method used, the standard it meets and whether it passed. Drives that fail verification are pulled out for shredding. That combination means you can reuse or resell equipment and still show the ICO, auditors or customers that personal data was properly destroyed.
What is included
- Erasure of hard drives, SSDs and NVMe drives in laptops, desktops and servers
- Use of drive-level sanitise and cryptographic erase commands on SSDs where supported
- Verification of every erased drive, not just a sample
- Per-device report with drive serial number, method, standard and pass or fail result
- Removal of failed or unverifiable drives for physical shredding
- Erasure of phones and tablets using appropriate mobile tools and factory reset checks
- Option to erase on your premises where devices are staying with you or being reissued
Who it is for
- Organisations reselling or donating working laptops and desktops
- Leased equipment that must be returned to the leasing company clean
- Devices being reissued internally to new staff
- Schools passing devices to pupils or community schemes
- Businesses that want to recover value from a hardware refresh
How much does it cost?
Certified data erasure in the UK typically costs £5 to £15 per device off site. On-site erasure usually adds a visit or day-rate charge, and on larger collections of recent kit the resale value often covers the erasure cost. See our full cost guide.