GDPR and revFADP in hardware disposal: why the erasure certificate is becoming mandatory
Responsibility does not end at decommissioning
As soon as a notebook, a server or an SSD leaves the company, personal data often leaves with it - customer information, personnel files or trade secrets. Both the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Swiss revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP) require such data to remain protected until it has actually and irretrievably been removed. Legal responsibility remains with the original owner throughout.
Both laws call for appropriate technical and organisational measures across the entire data lifecycle - including the disposal and transfer phase. Simply formatting a drive or emptying the recycle bin is not enough: such data can often be recovered with widely available tools and therefore does not count as erased.
Why certified erasure is mandatory
Certified data erasure follows recognised procedures and ensures that storage areas are overwritten, or storage media destroyed, in such a way that reconstruction is impossible. What matters is that the process is not only carried out but also documented in a traceable manner.
This is exactly where audit-proof processes come in: every storage device is uniquely recorded, the method applied is logged and the result is verified. This creates an unbroken chain from the moment the hardware arrives to the confirmed erasure. This traceability is the basis for being able to prove, should it ever be necessary, that you have fulfilled your duty of care.
The erasure certificate as proof of compliance
An erasure certificate is more than a receipt - it is your evidence for supervisory authorities, auditors and internal compliance. It documents which storage device, with which serial number, was erased or physically destroyed, to which standard and at what time.
Whether you face an enquiry from a data protection authority, an ISO certification or an internal audit, the certificate replaces laborious explanations with clear, verifiable proof. For the obligations of listed companies, industry regulations or contractual assurances to customers, it provides the legal certainty and planning security you need.
How TechResellers supports your compliance
TechResellers combines remarketing and professional refurbishment processes with certified, audit-proof data erasure. Every storage device we take on is recorded, checked and erased using recognised procedures or - where necessary - physically destroyed. You receive a traceable erasure certificate for every job.
This allows you to pass on retired hardware safely and make use of its residual value, with no compromises on data protection. You reduce your liability risk, meet the requirements of the GDPR and the revFADP and can demonstrate your compliance at any time - documented, verifiable and with no effort on your part.