What is degaussing and how does it work?

Table of Contents

Here in this blog, you will know what degaussing actually is and most importantly how it works.

There are two methods for securely cleaning data. The first is degaussing, and the second is shredding. While two of these are fantastic, especially when you need data and can’t retrieve it.

First off, degaussing is one of the techniques of deleting data permanently, and is relevant for various disks and tapes by which magnetic domains on the medium are oriented.

In other words, Magnetic domains, which are incredibly tiny regions, change their magnetic alignment to point in the direction of an applied magnetic field to store data on magnetic media. This media completely ignores the domain of their patterns without setting a priority and preventing the recovery of earlier data. In contrast, It is used to wipe all the data like images, audio, videos, and different data signals. 

History of Degaussing

The degaussing process was first introduced in the second world war. Its primary purpose was to remove ships known as magnetic signatures. The British fleet was severely damaged by German magnetic mines, which they attempted to counter.

When a ship’s steel concentrated the Earth’s magnetic field over it, the mines could detect the change. Carl Friedrich Gauss introduced this term during that period.

How Degaussing Works

To begin with, degaussing is used to generate a regulated magnetic field that works to clear valuable information. It helps to analyze the depth of data and information and start processing degaussing as per requirements to remove the information on the medium source. The physical principle underlying the degaussing relies upon the polarization of the Weiss domain names. The data is kept on magnetic media, such as hard drives and tapes, wherein an electromagnetic field is applied to tiny areas called magnetic domains, especially Weiss domain names.

What it complies with is that, the greater the power of the degausser, the greater its performance and the opportunity to utilize it on future innovation hard disks and other magnetic media.

The degausser is built in such a way as to allow the created electromagnetic field to be available to the media when it is transported with it, that can be literally holding the press and also relocating through the area by hand, having it instantly conveyed by a belt transporter or turned on a motorized pin.

What to do after Degaussing?

All devices after going through the degaussing process, are rendered useless. After you degauss a disk drive, the look of the hard disk drive doesn’t alter. The shift in the magnetic domain is long-term as well as irreversible damage, which is ideal if you’re wanting to delete information permanently.

Benefits of  Degaussers

There are various benefits of degaussers where the makers of audio and video receive betterment on yields and high quality. It is helpful not only to businesses but also to the government to include degaussing in their magnetic media processing method and realize significant cost savings by securely reusing previously discarded media repeatedly.

Controlled use of degaussers in magnetic media operations and production processes can result in significant cost savings. To begin with, many operators who do not degauss today, discard suspicious media that, if degaussed rigorously, would have a noticeably longer lifespan.

Another advantage is the difficulty in disposing of magnetic media. When buried, it is not biodegradable and emits hazardous gases when burned. You can help your company’s recycling program by reusing your media device as much as possible. Moreover, with the help of deep erasure that is evolved by magnetic fields, makers and customers recognize that it’s possible to minimize from various tapes and cassettes, also known as the techniques usually used in hard disk drives. 

Lastly, providing peace of mind in mass recycling those degaussed media drives without concern of information falling into malicious hands. 

What to know before choosing a degausser?

Firstly you need to know about the types of media used. Secondly, you need to know the exact media volume at a specific timeframe. Thirdly, you should sense or know the density of media and types of operation to consider the sufficient power to clear tapes manually and so on. 

Types of Degaussers

Talking about the types of degaussers, basically, there are 3 types of degaussers:

  • Coil Degausser
  • Capacitive Discharge Degausser
  • Permanent Magnet Degausser

Conclusion

In summary, degaussing is the process of clearing the data where magnetic domains are oriented. In this article, we have learned a simple version of how degaussing works. By evolving magnetic fields and by assisting in finding out the information in order to remove precious data. Additionally, it works with the polarization of the Weiss domain name where the data is kept in a magnetic field through magnetic domains where electromagnetic fields are applied. We have also learned about how degausser is made and how it relocates through the area by hand.

Dean Atrash

Author

Dean Atrash

Hi, I am Dean Atrash, and I founded Eco IT Solutions to make the asset disposal process easy and smooth for all businesses. Most importantly, it was to create a process that is sustainable, secure, and cost-effective.

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on reddit

    The Services I Am Interested In Are

    Your Message