Degausser recertification is the process of testing your degausser to ensure magnetic media is permanently erased to meet compliance. This procedure is a simple two step process that first involves testing a high density hard drive directly in the degausser being recertified. Second, after degaussing, the test hard drive is sent to an examination lab and analyzed by sophisticated equipment to see if any traces of data are recoverable or remaining.

The degausser recertification conception is most commonly used by government agencies and industries that handle classified and top secret data. Most commercial strength degaussers do not require annual recertification and the testing and recertification standards are much less stringent. The National Security Agency recommends that NSA approved degaussers be tested or recertified periodically to ensure NSA compliance. In the majority of cases, an annual degausser recertification will meet NSA compliance.

SEM recommends consulting with your degausser’s factory manual to determine the frequency of recertification. Not all degaussers are alike and some require more maintenance and more frequent recertification to ensure compliance.

At SEM we have an uncomplicated five step degausser recertification program:

• SEM will ship a hard drive to you and cover the freight charge.

• You will be asked to run it through the degausser and return it to us with the provided return labels.

• We’ll ship the drive to our partners labs where they test the drive using highly sophisticated measuring devices.

• Upon completion of the test, SEM will receive a report of their findings and re-certify the degausser at factory specifications.

• A degausser re-certification report is then emailed to you.

The SEM Degausser Advantage

At SEM, we want to make this process as easy as possible for you. Let us help guide you through the process and ensure that your degausser is running at spes for years to come. Check out the recertification page here, or contact our customer care team today at customercare@semshred.com for more information.