Most organizations allocate substantial resources to the procurement, deployment, and management of IT assets such as laptops, servers, network switches, printers, and mobile phones. Unfortunately, many companies pay relatively little attention to the critically important steps at the end of the asset lifecycle, – namely, decommissioning and disposal. Data destruction is an essential part of those processes.
Improper disposal can create major liabilities for organizations that aren’t sufficiently mindful of the security and compliance risks. Systematic, professional IT asset disposition (ITAD) processes ensure that your data remains secure, and that your company remains in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations, data privacy laws, and data security standards. In many cases, ITAD partners can even help you recover some value from your unwanted IT equipment.
As data breaches become more and more common, regulators are increasing their focus on data privacy and security. Laws such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA have far-reaching implications, demanding that companies take a proactive approach toward data security, or risk costly fines and potential legal action.
Data Destruction Techniques
The most common data destruction methods involve physical destruction or software-based erasure.
Physical destruction methods include hard drive shredding, for example. This is a process in which ITAD companies use specialized shredders to break down storage media into small fragments, making it impossible to retrieve any data.
Degaussing uses strong magnetic fields to disrupt the magnetic properties of storage devices, rendering the data unrecoverable. This technique is less popular, given the costs involved, but is still used for tape drives and other magnetic media that do not easily lend themselves to shredding.
Both of these techniques render the storage media unusable. While many companies still prefer shredding, others are turning to software-based erasure, or “data wiping”, because it preserves the device to be sold, donated, or otherwise re-used. This technique uses specialized software to overwrite existing data with random patterns of binary code, ensuring that the original information can never be retrieved.
Proprietary Technologies like NCS Global’s EcoErase significantly enhance data security by integrating advanced and environmentally friendly data destruction methods. EcoErase, for example, is designed to exceed industry standards for data wiping by employing rigorous, multi-pass overwriting techniques, ensuring that no trace of the original data remains.
EcoErase contributes to sustainability by reducing electronic waste and eliminating the environmental costs associated with manufacturing new hard drives. By utilizing such proprietary technologies, companies can fully protect their sensitive information while improving their sustainability scores and ensuring compliance with stringent data protection and environmental regulations.
Compliance and Data Security
Your unwanted IT devices may contain sensitive or confidential information that you are not even aware of. Several years ago, for example, a large healthcare company was found to be in violation of HIPAA laws when they returned a fleet of leased printer/copiers to the lessor without first destroying the data they contained. The resulting fine amounted to over $1.2 million.
Advanced data destruction techniques are essential for complying with global data protection regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. These laws mandate that organizations must protect personal and sensitive data from unauthorized access and ensure its secure disposal. Techniques such as shredding and secure erasure address a critical link in the chain of data custody. By adopting best practices for IT asset disposition, organizations can dramatically reduce their risk of data breaches, maintain customer trust, and avoid the substantial fines and legal repercussions associated with non-compliance.
NCS Global is recognized by leading certifications and standards bodies, ensuring that we deliver the highest levels of data security and environmental responsibility. EcoErase, our proprietary erasure software, is NIST and DOD certified to meet the most stringent security standards. NCS Global is also certified by e-Stewards, a leading ITAD industry organization that specifies standards for information security, environmental stewardship, and employee safety. NCS Global fully complies with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines for data destruction, ensuring that their processes meet rigorous federal standards.
Environmental Considerations
Choosing the right method of secure data destruction can also help your company meet its target metrics for environmental sustainability.
The hard drive shredding process produces tiny fragments, including metals and other materials that can be recycled. Secure erasure is even more environmentally beneficial, though, because it allows ITAD vendors to recycle and repurpose storage media, which reduces the volume of electronic waste that ends up in landfills. It also reduces the need to manufacture new devices and deplete the earth’s natural resources. Software-based data destruction techniques also use less energy than shredding and recycling, so it’s the preferred method for many companies.
Case Studies and Examples
Several years ago, a large financial institution chose to offload some old laptops and servers to an unqualified disposal company. That company botched the job, and several of the company’s laptops turned up on eBay, with thousands of confidential customer records intact. The cost to the financial institution was in the tens of millions, just for regulatory fines. Lawsuits and bad publicity followed.
That’s why it’s so important to pick your ITAD services provider carefully. Look for a company with highly respected certifications, stellar customer references, and a long history in the industry.
When a large shipping company wanted to decommission several data centers in short order, they called upon NCS Global to help them complete on-site drive shredding operations in multiple states on the same day. We helped them get the job done, planning and executing concurrent data destruction processes over a period of just six hours.
Many of NCS Global’s customers operate in highly regulated industries with stringent security requirements. We help them ensure that all of the data on their decommissioned devices is irretrievably destroyed, fully meeting regulatory compliance standards. We help our customers to maintain trust and protect their reputations.
Takeaway
Advanced data destruction techniques offer numerous benefits for organizations looking to enhance their IT asset disposition strategies. These techniques ensure that sensitive data is irreversibly erased, protecting against data breaches and unauthorized access. By employing methods such as degaussing, shredding, and secure erasure, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with equipment decommissioning. This not only safeguards confidential information but also supports regulatory compliance with data protection laws and industry standards.
NCS Global not only covers all the basics, we offer additional benefits that most competitors can’t. We’ve been in the ITAD business for 25 years, with service levels that are second to none. That’s why we have a 98% customer retention rate spanning over two decades, with customers in healthcare, financial services, higher education, and more.
Want to learn more about how NCS Global can help you protect your data? Contact one of our ITAD specialists today.
