Overview

University computer hard drives may contain sensitive data; hard drives should not leave the university and need to be securely destroyed. Deleting or erasing the data is not enough to discard the media; the most effective way to prevent unintended data exposure is to physically destroy it. The Hard Drive destruction process allows IT Security to aid with destroying the media in a secure manner.

Process

1. Request an appointment by completing the form.

2. Remove the hard drive from the system.

3. Prepare hard drives by removing any casing, brackets, or other sealing containers.

4. The completion of the form will create a Helpdesk ticket; you will receive a confirmation email stating the ticket has been created.

5. A member of IT Security will contact you to schedule an appointment.

6. At the appointment you will witness the hard drives be destroyed and sign a decommissioning form.

Request an Appointment

 

Accepted University Media for Destruction

• University owned hard drives which have been removed from the device (as well as the mounting bracket or other sealing containers).

• Mobile devices such as phones, iPads, and tablets.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I request an appointment for hard drive destruction?

  OSU IT provides two options to submit a request for a Hard Drive Destruction appointment. You can either:

  1. Visit the Hard Drive Destruction Request You will be prompted to login with your O-Key Account credentials and authenticate through Multifactor Authentication (MFA).

  2. Start a support ticket by using this link: Request Help

     1. Provide the following information in the Issue field:

        1. Number of Hard Drives/devices

        2. The department which owns the device(s).

• Can you request to remove the hard drives from the equipment?

  IT Security doesn't schedule hard drive removals, nor do we remove anything. That is for your department's IT, we only sign the Certificates as witnesses of the destruction or Intent to Destroy with what was confirmed involving appointments.

• Where are the appointments for hard drive destruction located?

  After successfully scheduling and confirming the appointment with IT Security, hard drive destruction will take pace in 016 Math Sciences.

• How many hard drives can be scheduled for destruction at a time?

  The maximum number of hard drives which can be scheduled per individual appointment is one hundred (100).

• Do I need to be present during the whole appointment?

  Yes, however, if the individual who scheduled the appointment is not available, someone can be sent on their behalf to stay until the hard drive destruction is complete.

• Do I need to bring any documents or paperwork to my appointment?

  At this time, IT Security only requires the hard drives or device(s) requested to be destroyed be brought to the appointment and a photo ID of the individual witnessing the destruction.

• Who can request an appointment for Hard Drive destruction, and is there a cost?

  At this time, Hard Drive Destruction is available at no cost to OSU Faculty and Staff for university owned devices. OSU IT does not provide hard drive destruction service to students or for devices not owned by the university.

• Will I receive documentation regarding proof of destruction?

  IT Security provides a decommissioning form providing the information of each hard drive or device destroyed and is signed by both an IT Security witness and departmental witness at the end of the appointment.