PSD Computing and IT has two data destruction devices if you need to securely destroy your data. Both options are highlighted below along with example videos. These services are free. If you wish to use either of the devices below, please email psdsupport@uchicago.edu.

We can destroy the media for you or we will allow you to press the destroy button if you wish to take your frustrations out!

Our degausser provides a strong magnetic field to devices placed in its chamber. This magnetic field wipes or otherwise scrambles the 1s and 0s on magnetic media. The device can degausse about 1 hard drive per minute.

The following items can be degaussed: Magnetic hard drives, magnetic tapes, floppy disks

Note: The magnetic field will also destroy some electrical components on circuit boards so, even though a hard drive looks the same after degaussing, it is generally not operable.

Our hard drive crusher applies over 10 tons of force to hard drives or other electrical components placed inside of the chamber. Destruction takes about 20 seconds and you can crush up to two full sized hard drives at a time.

Ideal for the following media: Solid State hard drives, flash drives, usb drives, mobile phones

Note: Data restoration companies have successfully restored data from magnetic devices crushed in this manner. For that reason, magnetic media should be degaussed prior to destruction in the crusher.