Like many other pre-built tools, old or unwanted computers can be broken down, recycled and given a new lease of life with different owners, or their raw materials repurposed for other consumer items.
The key question for modern businesses is how this disposal process takes shape. If done incorrectly, you may leave old data susceptible to hackers who could find devious uses for it, and many IT devices contain materials that are toxic if allowed to be released into the environment.
Here are some key points to consider for those wondering what correct computer disposal should involve:
Know The Importance Of Effective Disposal
Hackers love finding a piece of hardware that's been casually disregarded or forgotten about, because they know it may contain digital mountains of potentially highly sensitive data. Data protection laws and regulations have been put in place to combat this in recent years; it's vital that you're aware of these guidelines to prevent your business falling foul of such rules.
With effective IT asset disposal, you can protect not only customer's data but also your own reputation and cover yourself legally. Having an experienced third-party asset disposal company take care of this on your behalf ensures that your disposal strategy is compliant and that there is no risk of fraud to your customers, employees, and suppliers.
Disposal Should Be Equal To Destruction
Complete physical destruction is the number one method to ensure data is destroyed along with the device. This isn't ideal for repurposing hardware, of course, but it is a principle one should remember and seek to emulate when erasing data. Your data erasure method should aim to achieve the same results as outright destruction, leaving no trace behind.
Disposing of a device in a landfill site doesn't achieve this, nor does casually wiping a HDD before passing it on to another user. A proper data sanitisation process requires professional handling to ensure nothing is left unchecked.
Understand Your Hard Drive
Not all data is of equal value or sensitivity, with various levels of sensitivity to consider. All data should be taken seriously when it comes to disposal, but the method of that disposal can be handled differently depending on what we're dealing with.
For the highest levels of sensitive data – particularly personal data that is traceable to an identifiable, living person, complete erasure and/or destruction is the best solution (so long as that data is no longer needed, or required by law). Other data categories – including anonymous or historical data – may require less extensive clearing, though it all needs to be done properly, nonetheless.
Choose a Premium Recycling Service
For complete compliance and peace of mind, don’t leave your IT asset disposal to chance. Use an ADISA-accredited professional disposal and data sanitisation provider, such as Absolute ITAD. To find out more, please download our free Guide To Mobile Data Sanitisation.
With ADISA accreditation and commitments to the three core areas of cost effectiveness, sustainability and data protection, Absolute IT Asset Disposal is your number one choice as a partner for disposing of your old or unwanted computers.
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