Tablets have become the new means for employees to get the job done, especially when working remotely. However, the increased mobility of workers also means that sensitive company data can be transported anywhere. While you can’t prevent data from leaving company headquarters, you can still ensure its security.

Device Disposal and Data Concerns

There are a number of considerations to be made for the destruction of mobile data. One of these concerns is that records associated with the disposal will not be accurate. Data security and environmental compliance are also of critical significance. All of these concerns can be alleviated simply by putting an auditing policy in place.

Another concern is the fact that the capacity for storage in these devices continues to increase. There are tools available which will erase data from the hard drives of these devices, but often, complete erasure is only possible when the device is connected to some kind of network. This leaves much room for doubt about complete erasure due to the need for device disconnection before storing.

Reconnection and Repeating Erasure

It is possible to ensure on-site data erasure by reconnecting some devices and then repeating the erasure process. However, complete data erasure may only be possible with devices running the iOS platform. Even if all of the devices used in your company are running iOS, it could be next to impossible to ensure that all of them have been successfully erased. This is where it is vital to create a process that can be audited and that generates some a paper trail.

Avoiding the Risk of Data Breaches and Penalties

If you don’t have a process in place to ensure that mobile devices are properly erased and that erasure has been documented, you run the very serious risk of both a data breach and penalties for non-compliance.

Avoiding penalties and data breaches doesn’t have to be difficult. When disposing of tablets, simply ensure that on-site data shredding adheres to the same requirements that are in place for other devices. Doing so will ensure that you are compliant with regulations. Finally, it’s crucial to ensure that any devices you dispose of, including their accessories, are completed according to environmental law.

Getting a Specialist to do it for You

If your IT department is as busy as most, it can be easy to lose track of device erasure and disposal. If this is the case, it can assist you greatly to have access to a company such as us, who specialise in asset disposal. Because it’s all we do, we can ensure the complete destruction of all of your sensitive data, We can also provide storage bins where devices and documents can be stored before transfer.

If you generate this kind of waste on a regular basis, we can also arrange for the pick-up of these items, as well as issue you a disposal and WEEE-compliant certificate which provides details about what was collected from your location.