Protecting your brand: Stolen data from drives and media can hurt you

Many companies and IT professionals worry about hackers and unsecured networks. But we know that “loose media” (disc drives, flash drives, retired computers, server media and other storage devices) are often discarded or recycled without regard to the danger.

Employee theft of sensitive data

Some companies believe that, so long as the hard drives, discs and other media remain inside company walls until they are destroyed, the company is protected. In fact, recently terminated employees or those with outside loyalties can pose a danger to sensitive data.

It’s important to have a system in place to destroy sensitive data onsite as soon as a device is retired or a hard drive fails. Drives filled with sensitive data that are left in accessible areas of a business are vulnerable to disgruntled employees as well as visitors.

Careless discarding

Even IT technicians may not be thinking about the critical nature of some of the files, documents and spreadsheets contained on drives and portable media that are scheduled to be destroyed. Not to mention non-technical employees. Without a secure containment solution and onsite data destruction process, these items could be discarded in the ordinary office trash by unwitting staff members.
What happens when your company replaces a cell phone with important contacts stored in them? What happens to broken flash drives?
All employees should be informed about your company’s easy and consistent method for cleaning the data from such devices. Onsite data destruction plans are critical.

Improper recycling

Many businesses are unaware that ordinary technology recycling, and especially widely publicized “free recycling” programs, often do not fulfill regulatory requirements for disposing of hardware.

If your executives are not convinced, picture a technology device with your company’s branding and logo being discovered in a landfill in China. It only takes one image of your company’s technology waste being discovered in an unsavory context to bring home the value of prioritizing proper recycling.

Many technology recycling companies do not destroy data correctly, nor do they carry out recycling efforts to high environmental standards. Your company may need to meet requirements for data privacy under HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, or other privacy regulations. Make sure you are using an ISO certified company to dispose of and destroy your data.

We follow the standards set forth in the EPA requirements relating to environmental, health, safety, and security aspects of electronics recycling. Read more about our EPA-compliant disposal services.

Our project expertise includes:

• Enterprise-wide desktop refresh projects
• Datacenter decommissioning
• Onsite data destruction projects