Certified data destruction, proven per device

A certificate of data destruction is the proof that the data on a device was securely and irreversibly removed before the device was reused, recycled or destroyed. For any organisation disposing of IT, it’s the single most important piece of evidence — and under UK GDPR and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, it’s not optional.

Erasure vs physical destruction

There are two routes to secure sanitisation, and a good ITAD process uses the right one per device:

• Data erasure (wiping): software overwrites the storage so data can’t be recovered, and the drive can be reused — the greener, higher-value option.
• Physical destruction: shredding or degaussing the media, used where a drive fails, can’t be wiped, or the client requires it. It needs its own evidence (photos, logs, serials).

The standards that matter

• NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 1 — the internationally recognised guideline for media sanitisation (Clear, Purge, Destroy).
• HMG IS5 — UK government standard, including a Higher Standard for SECRET-classified material.
• ADISA — the UK ITAD industry certification (e.g. ADISA 8.0 / DIAL 2) many buyers now require.

What a certificate that stands up to audit contains

• The device make, model and serial number — per device, not per batch.
• The method and standard used (e.g. NIST 800-88 Purge, or physical destruction).
• The date, the operator, and a verifiable result.
• A link to the chain of custody for that exact device.

How WipeTrail handles it

WipeTrail generates one-click certificates — data erasure, physical destruction, WEEE and reuse — straight from the operational record, each tied to the device’s serial and its full event history. Your customers download them from their portal; you keep a complete, exportable audit trail. Pair it with DWTS-ready records and WEEE evidence and every device is fully accounted for.

Frequently asked questions