The Absolute IT Asset Disposal Blog

It seems like a pretty safe activity, doesn’t it? After all, we are all colleagues, and a simple reimage and redeploy of a Windows laptop - deleting the old user’s profile and creating a new one - and it’s job done. But is it? The truth about how much data remains after a standard reimage and redeploy is sobering. Personal information and company data linger in the background, and simple software...

Ransomware is now the most common type of malware, involved in almost half of all incidents reported to cybersecurity companies. It used to be mainly a problem on Windows desktops and laptops but now criminals target Android devices and – increasingly – business systems. That means bigger ransom demands and extortion rewards for the criminals.

The steps needed to recover from a data breach are just as critical as the measures you need to take against them. Let’s assume you have all the usual safeguards in place: an up-to-date firewall and anti-virus, good data security policies, safe asset disposal/recycling procedures. What do you do when, despite this, cyber attackers can find ways to access privileged information? When you suspect a...

Passwords are the most basic protection measures for computer systems, yet they account for the highest percentage of data breaches. Over 80% of incidents of compromised systems are due to weak and stolen passwords. One data security measure that we advise clients on at Absolute IT is to have secure passwords for all devices. Companies must train their employees on various best practices for...

The threat of malicious attacks is one that every business with a computer system has to guard itself against. Malware attacks use software to collect information without authorisation. Besides stealing data, malicious software can damage a system severely. Data leakage is also a significant threat when recycling equipment. This is why entrusting a reputable company like Absolute IT Asset...

Remote working is a notable feature of our Internet-enabled age that benefits both employers and workers. Businesses reduce the cost of facilities and employees enjoy freedom from the commute and a degree of flexible working hours.

There is a right way and innumerable wrong ways to set about recycling computer equipment. Best practice dictates that:

• Stringent cyber security be deployed to protect any data residing in the equipment, and;
• The environment must be protected when physically disposing of equipment.

We may have a pretty good idea what the Data Protection Act set out to achieve in general, but do we know why and how it came into being? Even the need to have to legislate to safeguard data must indicate that something was fundamentally wrong. Data protection legislation stems from two basic developments: