[Guide] Erasing a Hard Disk Drive: How Many Times Must ITADs Overwrite HDDs for Complete Data Sanitization?

How many passes does it take to erase a hard drive?

Hard disk drives, or HDDs, can retain data on magnetic platters for years. So, when it comes time for your ITAD customers to decommission their drives and devices, what does it take to make sure those assets are completely free of sensitive information?

Some ITAD customers take a “more is better” approach when erasing a hard drive. Yet multiple overwrites come with a cost: They take more time, tie up resources, and slow down ITAD operations. Extra overwriting passes also mean customers pay for processing they don’t really need.

Reassure your customers with our best practice on HDD data erasure.

This free PDF download for ITADs:

• provides a brief overview of how HDD overwriting practices have evolved,
• outlines what the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommend for hard drive data sanitization, and
• specifies what else is needed to ensure data sanitization when erasing a hard disk drive.

As a bonus, there’s information on the challenges of erasing solid-state drives (SSDs)—and how to overcome them. Additionally, you can read about our ADISA SSD certification.

Download Best Practice.

You may be interested in:

The First 60 Seconds of Device Intake Determine Profit

Closing the Data Compliance Gap: How to Handle End-of-Life Technology with Audit-Ready Confidence

In-House vs Outsourced ITAD Providers: Which One Fits Your Organization?

2025 Financial Services State of Data Sanitization Report