Find out why companies nationwide trust AIT Electronics Recycling

AIT is your one stop for all e-waste recycling, data destruction and asset management needs.

What is Data Destruction?

Recycling your e-waste is the next step to ensuring that the electronics lifecycle becomes more sustainable. What happens to data on any devices, though?
Data destruction is the process of destroying Hard Drives (HDDs,) Solid State Drives (SSDs,) Floppy Discs, Tapes and more in a way that ensures all data contained on the devices is completely irretrievable. This means shredding the data storage devices in accordance with industry data destruction standards including NIST-800-88 and DoD 5220.22-M.

AIT exceeds both NIST-800-88 and DoD 5220.22-M data destruction standards

It’s important to destroy data with consideration given to each device type. In general, the two industry standards are NIST-800-88, which is enforced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST,) and DOD 5220.22-M, enforced by the United States Department of Defense.

AIT’s data destruction standards include using a shredder to physically ensure that data on devices is non-retrievable.

AIT is capable of providing data destruction no matter the amount or deadline. Our expert team and state-of-the-art facilities allow for full data destruction capabilities exceed both NIST-800-88 and DoD 5220-22.M standards.

A hard drive being shredded

Full Services that AIT provides include:

  • On-Site Data Destruction
  • Off-Site Data Destruction
  • Shredding, Degaussing, and other data sanitization and destruction options by request
  • Certificate of Destruction and E-Waste Report always provided free
  • Secure chain-of-custody options
  • Nationwide Solutions
  • Bulk Requests
  • With Witness Representative Present
  • With capabilities to wipe or destroy data on: tapes, HDDs, SSDs, optical discs, flash drives and more.

Contact us today to discuss how we can assist you!

NIST-800-88 Data Destruction Standards

NIST guidelines have been set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and involve the following types of data sanitization and destruction:

  • Clear – This type of data sanitization involves a logical technique, meaning that no physical tampering is done to the device. Simple read and write commands can be used to clear data. An example of this is having the menu of a cell phone or tablet reset itself to factory settings or to rewrite existing data with nonsense values on a digital scanner.
  • Purge – Purging data from a data storage device involves both a logical and physical technique. An example of this is degaussing hard drives or floppy discs using a degausser to magnetically purge data.
  • Destroy – Data destruction is the only final method of data destruction past clearing and purging data that will ensure that all data is 100% destroyed. An example of this would be AIT’s standard destruction method for all data storage devices. AIT exceeds both NIST and DoD industry standards for data destruction because we use a shredder to physically destroy each data storage device, ensuring that your data is completely irrecoverable.

NIST 800-88 Standards including clear, purge and destroy methods

DoD 5220.22-M Data Destruction Guidelines

DoD 5220.22-M guidelines have been set by the Department of Defense and involve the following types of data sanitization and destruction:

  • Short Wipe Method – This involves overwriting a data storage device with 3 separate passes, first passing over all binary zero locations, then all binary ones, and then any locations with random bits until verifying the final pass.
  • Long Wipe Method – Established by the Defense Security Service (DSS) and serving as an extra layer of security onto DoD 5220.22-M standards, this method involves doing the above short wipe method, running a randomized pass value, and then running the standard short wipe method again.

This long wipe method is considered generally unnecessary and a time sink if one decides to physically destroy their data storage devices such as by shredding them since physical destruction is safest method of destruction. However, it can ensure that data is further irretrievable without physically destroying the data storage device itself. This method complies with DoD 5220.22-M ECE and DoD 5220.22-M (C) standards in addition to DoD 5220.22-M itself.

DoD 5220-22-M Standards, including an explanation of a short wipe and long wipe.

 

DoD 5220.22-M data destruction methods can be performed on hard drives, solid-state drives, optical discs and flash drives.

AIT’s Data Destruction Capabilities

AIT is capable of providing data destruction no matter the amount or deadline. Our expert team and state-of-the-art facilities allow for full data destruction capabilities exceed both NIST-800-88 and DoD 5220-22.M standards.

Contact us to get started today!

Below are some of the items we accept for recycling.

  • Desktops PCs, Computers.

  • Servers/Server Racks.

  • Laptops
  • Route, Network Switches

  • Cell Phones.

  • Photocopiers, Scanners.

  • Phone Systems.

  • Inkjet & Laser Printers.

Your One Stop for all E-Waste Recycling and Date Destruction Solutions.

AIT is the leading electronic waste recycling, data destruction and asset management solution for companies nationwide. Abiding by all HIPAA requirements, R2 Responsible Recycling Guidelines, NIST 800-80 & NAID Data Destruction procedures, AIT has a 20+ year track record of satisfied clients, with the belief that accessibility is crucial to solving the e-waste problem.

Secure Facilities.

All AIT Facilities are secure with 24/7 surveillance and experienced staff.

Certified Recyclers

Our Facilities operate under R2 and RIOS standards.

Priority on Data Security.

AIT understands how paramount the protection of your company’s data is to your business. We are keen on delivering outstanding service with no compromises.

On-Site & Off-Site Shredding

If your data is extremely sensitive, we can come directly to your firm and destroy all data. Additionally, our certificate of destruction will outline all the significant product identifiers.

Years of experience

20+

Clients Serviced

584

Pounds of Waste Recycled

4,200,000+