Hard drives are wiped or destroyed. Methods vary by drive type. The two main categories are solid state and magnetic. Secure erasure of solid state drives is done by factory reset or shredding. Secure erasure of magnetic drives is done by overwriting or degaussing, and mechanically by puncturing the platters or shredding. Many laptop hard drives have glass platters that can be easily shattered ensuring confidentiality.

Laptops will contain one or more hard drives. There are a wide variety of possibilities for data to be left behind. DVD /CD players must be checked for discs. USB Memory sticks and removable storage cards must be removed and shredded, if present.

Mobile phones and tablets must be either factory reset or shredded. Storage media cards and SIM (subscriber identity module) must also be located removed and shredded.

Servers will contain one or more hard drives. There are a wide variety of possibilities for data to be left behind. DVD /CD players must be checked for discs. USB Memory sticks and removable storage cards must be removed and shredded, if present.

Networking devices like switches and routers vary in complexity and type and should be factory reset, especially when recycling for reuse. The method for doing this differs by manufacturer. Proper disposal of network devices by removing the configuration or physically destroying the flash storage will prevent unwanted access to your ongoing network infrastructure.

Office and Business telephones store contacts and call logs which must be removed by reset or destruction of the storage chip by physical means such as shredding or drilling. IP Phones (Internet Protocol phone) must be de-provisioned by reset or shredded. They can contain call logs, and your contacts. Calls can be made at your own ongoing expense using your old IP phone and your own telephone number if your IP phone not properly de-provisioned.