395 data breaches have occurred that have been reported in the U.S. so far this year [By July 2014], a 21 percent increase over the same period last year.
In some of the cases, laptops or thumb drives containing information were stolen. And in many of the cases, the breaches were attributed to poor data security practices or simple errors that could have been avoided.
In a perfect world all of the data is properly destroyed and the assets are either retired or resold. Companies are now transitioning to cloud based services and newer technology as a way to lower their costs in the long run, and the work required to manage these newer systems and software is much less. The main risk with this transition, that cannot be ignored, is the handling and disposal of sensitive data and the media it is stored on.
“IT Hardware Recycling Remains an Orphaned Function in Most Enterprises”- International Data Corporation (press release 9/13/12)
Who is responsible? IT, Security, Procurement, Legal, Business Unit Manager, Human Resources, Other?
Over 700 public and private sector individuals participated in establishing the Standards and Procedures of this rigid certification review. The goal of the certification program is to streamline the certification process and increase the ability of women business owners to compete for contracts at a national level.
After your computer/laptop breaks down, what do you do with it? Do you retire it to your IT Department? Do you send it to the IT cemetery in the sky? Before taking any step for retirement of your IT equipment, you must consider all of your old files, data, and pertinent client information.
The problem lies in understanding the risk of any IT asset that could be reused or resold. Many security professionals are involved in asset management and theft prevention…not in the proper, certified process of destruction of IT equipment.
As the technology recycling industry continues to grow, you begin to see a flood of new and existing businesses now offering these types of services. A recent trend has seen many of these businesses offering to recycle old computers and other IT assets at no cost. While this is great for their bottom line, this leaves the door wide open to risks such as data breaches and potential fines from local and state governments.
A decommissioning policy is important for many reasons. It helps you maintain compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. It creates an efficient process for your IT department, and most importantly it can save you from a costly data breach. Creating the policy can be difficult as there are many aspects that must be taken into consideration. Below are 7 things that should be considered when you are defining your company’s decommissioning policy:
Recent studies show that more than 1/3 of companies do not practice responsible IT Asset recycling. Proper IT asset disposal is more than just tossing out your old computers. It should be a security tactic, a measure of compliance, a part of your green initiatives, and also a tool that can add financial value to depreciated assets. IT asset disposal is more than just an obligation that companies have, it is a responsibility that should be taken seriously.
IT asset disposition can be a very time consuming and aggravating process. If not done correctly you risk significant costs (legal fees, fines, etc), environmental violations, and the risk of a data breach. As we have highlighted in other blogs, a solid decommissioning policy and disposition program is the first step in mitigating your risks. It is your IT asset disposal vendor that will make the difference when it comes to the execution phase. We will look at 4 ways that an IT asset disposal vendor can save you money on top of providing data security and compliance.
Mobile devices have changed the landscape of IT asset management and data security policies. IT managers now have to develop and implement new processes to help to manage, control, and properly dispose of these devices. The biggest hurdle with this is the shifting of power from the IT department to the employees themselves, this introduces a myriad of new risks. Risks such as corporate data available outside of a physical establishment as well as developing strategies for all makes of devices and operating systems.
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