How does ITAD handle data on SSDs vs. HDDs?

Hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) require different data destruction methods because of how they store data. HDDs use magnetic platters that can be reliably overwritten with certified erasure software, while SSDs use flash memory with wear-leveling algorithms that prevent standard overwrite software from reaching every data block.

Standard wiping processes that work reliably on HDDs can leave data exposed on SSDs without the operator realizing it, because wear-leveling distributes writes across memory cells in a way that creates inaccessible "blind spots" for conventional erasure tools. Organizations wiping mixed fleets of HDDs and SSDs with the same process may have incomplete data destruction across their entire flash device inventory. Certified ITAD providers address this gap by using specialized erasure tools designed for flash media on SSDs, and by automatically flagging any SSD that fails erasure and routing it to physical shredding. Both certified erasure and physical shredding produce per-device certificates when performed to NIST 800-88 standards, so the compliance outcome is the same regardless of which method is used. The key takeaway for IT managers is that a "one size fits all" wiping process creates a data exposure risk on SSDs, and the ITAD provider should be able to explain exactly how they handle flash media differently from traditional hard drives.