As technology is advancing fast so does the need of securing data is increasing at the same speed. Today the question which I want to ask you is, how secure is your data when you dispose your assets? What do you do with your laptops and computers when they break down? Do you throw them or you retire it to your IT department?
I know you don’t throw them instead you do the proper formatting and then dispose of. Right? But just think for a second, is formatting enough? The answer is NO. Today it’s not difficult to breach data why? Because people are not aware of proper disposal of assets. The question comes when and how Company should decide on Asset disposal? There are many factors to consider when determining whether it’s appropriate to dispose of an asset, and certain types of assets must be disposed of in a specific way to maintain customer privacy and data security.
The following factors call for the immediate disposal of physical assets:
- The equipment is old and no longer meets company standards.
- The equipment no longer supports your current needs.
- The equipment is no longer working and cannot be salvaged.
Disposal Methods
Sometimes because of the smallest mistake data is breached and as a result company has to incur a huge loss especially if the reason is sheer negligence. It happens many a times that companies have accidentally thrown out assets with highly confidential information and High Executives have sold phones containing valuable information.
Deleting documents and old files cannot remove the data completely. There are specific methods which includes data wiping and destroying data thus offering complete security to the assets.
Methods like degaussing, shredding includes physical destruction of the assets thus securing data from any breach. This data wiping is usually done by third party which is certified and thus understands the vulnerability of data. Third-party services are available to wipe hard drives and eliminate any residual information on your IT equipment before it is thrown out.
Refurbishing
Now-a day’s companies often accept old IT equipment, as long as it is still functioning. This can be an excellent way to secure your data without having to sell it or worry about it falling into the wrong hands. These companies wipe out the hard drives and fully restore the equipment before reselling the items.
Thus, disposal of IT assets should be conducted in a responsible and timely manner. While it may seem hard to properly dispose of a physical asset, it can be equally threatening to have an unproductive equipment in warehouse or simply around the office. This equipment is susceptible as long as it holds data, especially if no one is managing it. A better solution is to assess your physical assets on a regular basis and to properly dispose of any and all out-dated equipment quickly.
