Media sanitisation methods compared

Degausser vs Crusher vs Shredder

Three different jobs that get confused constantly. A degausser destroys data on magnetic media. A crusher physically destroys the drive. A shredder destroys flash and optical media. Here is which one you need, and why the correct answer is usually all three.

Attribute	Degausser	Crusher / destroyer	Shredder
What it does	Floods magnetic media with a strong alternating field, randomising the stored pattern	Bends, punches or mangles the drive into unrecognisable scrap	Cuts media into small, unrecoverable fragments
Works on	HDDs (2.5"/3.5"/server), LTO, DLT, DAT, DDS tapes, floppies, magnetic cards, disk packs	Hard drives, tapes, and with an SSD kit, flash and PCBs	SSDs, M.2/NVMe, pen drives, memory cards, phones, tablets, SIMs, credit cards, CDs/DVDs
Does not work on	Any flash or optical media	Nothing magnetic is sanitised by it — only physically destroyed	Hard drives jam and damage office shredders
Data recoverable afterwards?	No — the data no longer exists	Possibly from fragments, unless degaussed first	No
Physical destruction	No	<b>Yes</b>	<b>Yes</b>
Audit evidence	Yes on T-1.2, T-1.5, T-4, T-5	No	No
NIST 800-88 level	Purge (magnetic media)	Destroy	Destroy (flash / optical)
Throughput	5 sec to 1 min per drive	5–8 sec per drive	Minutes per item
Environment	Machine room or secure room	Bench-top or floor, any room	Office copy room
Noise / mess	Low	Low	Moderate
Proton models in India	T-1, T-1.2, T-1.5, T-4, T-5, 1100 wand	PDS-30, PDS-75, PDS-100	PDS-88

Decision guide

Which combination do you need?

Small office / SME

Two machines

Hard drives and tapes are the main exposure; flash is occasional.

Proton T-1 degausser
PDS-30 manual destroyer with SSD kit

See the T-1 →

Data centre / ITAD / bank

Three machines, high throughput

Volume across magnetic, flash and physical destruction, with audit evidence required.

Proton T-1.5 or T-5
PDS-100 crusher
PDS-88 shredder

See the T-5 →

Government / defence / PSU

NSA-listed cell

Tender specifies NSA/CSS evaluated equipment and a documented destruction chain.

Proton T-4 or T-5
PDS-100 crusher
PDS-88 for flash

NSA listed models →

Multi-branch bank / PSU

Field kit

Destruction has to happen at the branch, not at a central warehouse.

Proton 1100 wand
PDS-75 manual crusher
plus a shredder per site

See the 1100 wand →

e-waste recycler / ITAD

Production line

Cost per drive dominates. Throughput and downstream handling decide margin.

Proton T-5 (fastest cycle)
PDS-100 with rear output slide

ITAD solutions →

Unsure

Send us your media list

Tell us what you hold, how much and what you must satisfy. We will specify the machine set, not the machine.

Ask an engineer

The order of operations matters

A correct destruction chain in India usually runs:

Identify and log — asset tag, serial number, data classification, storage location, custodian.
Sanitise magnetic media — degauss the HDD or tape. Verify the cycle.
Sanitise flash media — shred the SSD, phone, pen drive, SIM and cards.
Physically destroy — crush the degaussed drives and tape.
Record and certify — destruction register signed by the operator and custodian, with the degausser's cycle verification attached.
Dispose of scrap — through an authorised e-waste recycler under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, with the documentation that implies.

Steps 2 and 3 are the ones that fail in practice, because they are the ones people try to shortcut. The step-by-step degaussing process and the SSD destruction methods pages cover both in detail.

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions Indian buyers ask most often. Cannot find yours? Call us — we answer technical questions on the phone.

Which one do I actually need?

Magnetic media (hard drives, tapes) — a degausser. Flash media (SSDs, phones, USB drives, SIMs, cards) — a shredder or flash destroyer. Physical destruction as a second barrier — a crusher. Most regulated Indian organisations in scope for all three media need a degausser plus a crusher plus a shredder.

Is a crusher better than a degausser?

They do different things. A degausser removes the data; a crusher removes the object. A crusher alone can leave recoverable fragments of an undegaussed drive, which is why NSA and DoD practice is degauss first, then destroy.

Can a shredder handle hard drives?

An office-grade multimedia shredder is not designed for hard drives — they jam and damage the cutting mechanism. Hard drives go to a degausser and then a crusher. Solid-state drives and small flash go to the PDS-88 or the PDS-30 with the SSD kit.

What is the cheapest correct setup for a small Indian office?

A Proton T-1 degausser for HDDs and tapes, plus a PDS-30 manual destroyer with the SSD kit for flash. That combination covers every media type in a typical office for a sensible outlay and needs no dedicated room.

Do I need all three for ISO 27001 or ISO 27002?

Not necessarily all three. ISO/IEC 27001 (2022) Annex A 7.14 "Secure disposal or re-use of equipment" requires a documented, risk-based disposal process. What it does not do is prescribe a machine. Choose the method that matches the media and the data classification, and document it.

Get the machine set, not just the machine

Send us your media types, volumes and compliance requirement. We will specify the full destruction cell and quote it as a system.

Request a quote Call +91 9243049222