In an age in which digital technologies reign supreme, turning all of your old “analog” paper files into digital ones means that at times, sensitive information is at risk from prying eyes. But long after a piece of hardware equipment has run the course of its life/usefulness, the hidden danger becomes the information stored on board. While software methods of data wiping are available and the more expensive options are pretty thorough, at the end of the day, nothing beats permanent protection like a good ‘ol hardware solution. Introducing the Bustadrive, a simple tool that will render your old hard drive for all intents and purposes, useless to all but those with the deepest pockets.

The heralding feature of the Bustadrive is the simple nature of the beast — a hydraulic punch that forces itself into the hard disk turning it into a mangled piece of metal that is virtually unreadable or recoverable. Costing roughly $325 USD, the Bustadrive can easily pay for itself after only a few “permanent deletions”.

Again, only those with the deepest pockets even have a chance of overcoming the Bustadrives mind blowing punch. The tools needed to try and overcome such a feat, tools such as an electron microscope, can easily cost upwards of $40,000 meaning such recovery efforts will only be able to be attempted by big organizations, drug cartels, crooked businesses, etc. (no worries…).

For the average consumer, the effectiveness, downright simple operation, and low cost mean the Bustadrive is a worthwhile option worth checking out if you need a nearly fail safe option for permanently destroying sensitive digital information. Interested parties can stop by Bustadrive’s website to find out more.

Source: Slashdot, PC Pro