How does your company manage the protection of customer privacy? Most companies place a high value on IP and sensitive information, particularly regarding transit and destruction security. Before locking in your business, there are a few essential questions to ask if you’re seeking the services of a Data Destruction vendor or want to ensure you’re getting the best service possible.
It’s crucial to ask these questions when seeking an e-waste disposal service, data destruction is generally part of this disposal process that needs to be considered. Few e-waste service providers support secure data wiping on discarded electronic devices, even though many make this claim. By inquiring about the data destruction procedures used by e-waste service providers, you can safeguard your company and your critical data.
Ask your secure destruction vendor these questions before giving them access to your confidential data and the keys to your IP.
Consider these questions to ask a data destruction company before hiring one.
Is your company a certified Data Destruction Company?
The National Information for Destruction (NAID) AAA Certification is the benchmark, albeit not all shredding businesses have it. Your personal information will be handled securely from pickup to recycling if you use an information destruction provider that has earned the NAID AAA Certification. To become and continue to be a certified member, all shredding businesses must adhere to stringent rules, standards, and procedures.
Whilst being AAA (NAID) certified isn’t essential for companies to provide a secure service, it is certainly a plus as you can be sure that AAA (NAID) certification is trusted by the government, military, and organizations carrying highly sensitive data.
What software certifications does your company have?
There are many ‘free’ data wiping solutions out there that claim to be secure. When a service or solution is free, it brings concern about how this product can survive, or how they make their money. Solutions like Blancco require technicians to be trained and certified in order to use the software – every time an HDD is wiped using Blancco there is a license fee to be paid to the company. Blancco is internationally trusted and regarded as the Gold standard for software wiping by many Tier1 type organizations.
Whilst Blancco is not the only solution out there, the key points to look for are “NIST 800.88 R1 Purge and Clear” or “3-pass wiping” and ensuring that a certificate of destruction or audit trail is presented as an output.
Does your facility meet data destruction standards?
Always enquire about the facility’s unique data deletion procedures and determine if they adhere to or surpass industry norms. The Department of Defense regulations, which called for repeatedly wiping each device, served as the norm in the past. However, you are now advised to locate an e-waste recycler who adheres to the current set of industry-wide Guidelines for Media Sanitization.
Can I trust your employees to handle my sensitive data?
You should inquire about the e-waste service provider’s hiring and recruitment procedures, even if their data deletion procedures adhere to industry standards. After all, it’s crucial to ensure that unreliable staff won’t handle critical data. The pre-employment screening procedures for individuals who operate in restricted locations with sensitive data must be much more rigorous.
Security mechanisms should be in place at e-waste recycling plants to watch personnel. Additionally, these systems should stop unauthorized workers from entering parts of the facility where the hired company may keep equipment with sensitive data. Most of these issues can be mitigated by ensuring CCTV is active in the data destruction space where work are being conducted.
You shouldn’t entrust an e-waste service provider with your company’s sensitive data if they do not have secure processes in place to ensure data destruction integrity.
How will I know my data was destroyed completely?
The mere fact that they claimed to have done so should never be used to presume that the data on your devices has been deleted. The company that you have hired should instead provide you with some type of evidence of the destruction of the data. It may be a sign that the company that you have trusted is unreliable and shouldn’t be trusted with your sensitive data if they are unable to guarantee the destruction of your data.
Will the company provide any Certificate of Destruction?
Before you hire a data destruction company, ask if they provide a Certificate of Destruction. This is a formal document that contains detailed information about the destruction of your materials to prove that the process was completed and to prove compliance with privacy laws. Eco IT Solutions provides a Certificate of Destruction upon completion of every service for all types of physical or software data wiping services provided.
Are you confused about the definitions of data erasure and its limitations? Please continue reading to learn more about data erasure and its different misconceptions. Different nations’ laws have established stringent guidelines for the protection of user data. These rules have set requirements for the safe and legal processing of user data, including consumer data held by enterprises.
These data protection regulations carry significant fines, legal repercussions, and even prison sentences for violations. Additionally, there is a default risk of lost customers and brand damage. Under these new data protection laws, tech behemoths like Facebook and Google have already paid hefty fines for data breaches.
Different data destruction procedures have arisen at an industrial level due to the requirement for the secure and compliant handling of user data throughout its lifecycle. Data destruction refers to permanently destroying information so that it is unreadable (irrecoverable). To safeguard the data subject’s privacy, data destruction is done to prevent leakage or disclosure of such data (user).
Data erasure is a method of destroying data that involves overwriting the information’s bits with binary patterns to make it irrecoverable. It is a shared media sanitization approach that is becoming more well-known among businesses and the ITAD sector. The top five data erasure myths are debunked in this blog in light of the expanding reach and impact of data protection regulations. The goal is to provide the necessary information to achieve failsafe regulatory compliance and data privacy.
5 Common Myths About Data Erasure
Based on their approach, these five data erasure myths expose data to illegal discovery, access, and harm. They might also make you fail a data protection audit, which might come with unpleasant surprises like fines or other repercussions.
Myth 1 – Formatting Completely Erases the Data
Myth 2 – Deleting Gets the rids of all the files
Myth 3 – Degaussing Works for All Data Storages
Myth 4 – Shredding Destroys the Data
Myth 5 – Data Protection is Guaranteed by Crypto Erase
Myth 1 – Formatting Completely Erases the Data
No, formatting does not permanently delete the data. Suppose you want to delete the data permanently, especially if you wish to give or throw away your old computer. Formatting your hard drive is not a safe solution in that situation. Your stored data will not be completely deleted or removed if you format the device; it will still be present in the storage drive and may be swiftly recovered using any DIY software.
The storage partition table is erased during formatting, and the data in the file system is delinked. The file system is re-indexed in preparation for drive reuse. Although it appears to the user that the data has vanished since it is no longer accessible, the information remains in the medium. The data can be recovered using a free DIY data recovery program. Formatting is therefore not secure and can result in data breaches and leaks.
No, deletion does not get rid of all the files, deletion puts your data at risk of leakage and breach. A file or any other type of data can be deleted from your computer, removing the file’s links to memory regions in the file system. Even if you empty the recycle bin, this truth remains valid. File deletion followed by recycle bin emptying is a classic example of “out of sight, out of mind.” The file disappears from view and is no longer tradable. As a result, you feel safe in your conviction that it has been completely obliterated. It is a myth because of this. The erased data is still on your drive, whether an external storage device or an HDD.
They may not be visible to you anymore, but they are still recoverable. The deleted files removed from the Recycle Bin can be recovered using a DIY-free data recovery program.
Therefore, deleting is a hazardous technique to get rid of files, especially if you plan to donate the old computer, laptop, or drive, sell it on the secondary market, or give it away. It is best to erase all of your data beforehand, even if you give it to a friend, so the past doesn’t come back to haunt you.
Myth 3 – Degaussing Works for All Data Storages
Degaussing has its uses. It is particularly effective for electronic devices that store data magnetically and are broken or past their useful lives. Degaussing’s primary weakness, however, is that it only functions with information that has been magnetically stored. Unlike spinning platters, modern solid-state drives store data on semiconductor chips, making them resistant to degaussing. Additionally, immune devices are optical storage units.
And even if hard drives and data storage cassettes store information magnetically, the magnetic fields of the devices that need to be cleaned must be overcome by the degaussing strength. It doesn’t always work, primarily when older degaussers are used with more modern drives.
Myth 4 – Shredding Destroys the Data
Shredding might not provide 100% protection from forensic investigation methods. Shredding is a form of physical destruction where the storage device is cut into smaller pieces, usually between 2 and 30 mm, rendering the data unrecoverable. The technique depends on erasing the storage medium, making it difficult to read or recover the underlying data.
Current industrial standard shredders, however, can let whole solid-state drive (SSD) data chips pass through because of their more significant shredder fragments.
Due to the high data density of SSDs and hybrid drives with SSD components, tiny shred sizes are necessary to ensure that no one can recover no data after shredding. Many organizations advise using SSD shred sizes no larger than 2 mm. The likelihood that anyone can retrieve data from complete chips increases with the magnitude of the shred. So, even while choosing shredding as your preferred technique of data erasure is a positive step, it doesn’t always ensure that the data is unrecoverable.
Myth 5 – Data Protection is Guaranteed by Crypto Erase
One of the techniques to erase data is cryptographic erasure, frequently referred to as “Crypto Erase.” If the proper procedures are followed, and verification and certification are attained, it has proven to be very effective at rendering data unrecoverable. Cryptographic erasure has advantages and disadvantages, much like any other data erasure technique.
For instance, Crypto Erase is the best option when transporting storage devices. The warning is that user error and broken keys may compromise the effectiveness of cryptographic erasure.
There should be no more questions regarding the significance of data sanitization and how to conduct it properly now that we have distinguished fact from fiction. We hope you understand data erasure better, make sure to delete all the private information before getting rid of your old computer.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What is meant by data erasure how is it useful?
Data erasure, also known as data clearing, data wiping, or data destruction, is a software-based technique for overwriting data that aims to completely erase all electronic data stored on a hard drive or other digital media by overwriting data onto all sectors of the device in a random order of zeros and ones.
How do you permanently erase data so that it Cannot be recovered?
To permanently erase the data so that it cannot be recovered, you need to use one of the many data erasure methods.
What is the difference between data deletion and data erasure?
Although deletion and erasure may have similar sounds, they should not be used interchangeably. This distinction between data deletion and data erasure is crucial for businesses to understand because having the two phrases mixed up can lead to serious problems.
Is delete the same as erase?
When you delete a file, you just reallocate it on the system, making it more difficult to find; the files are still there, but they are no longer accessible. A file is permanently deleted after being erased.
Secure data destruction is the process of removing data from storage media using various methods (which I will discuss later) to render the data utterly irrecoverable by anyone. Data destruction can be achieved in many ways; some methods are better than others. Before even getting into the methods, it’s better to understand why it’s essential.
After reading this blog, you will have a deep understanding of the following things:
What is secure data destruction?
Why is it Important?
What are the methods to accomplish data destruction?
Which methods are suitable for different requirements?
How to choose vendors for your secure data destruction needs?
Okay, there’s a lot to unpack here, and let’s get started! With organizations becoming increasingly digital, data storage requirements are also increasing. It only makes sense for organizations to get rid of the data after it has served its purpose on the media devices. Countries have established privacy-related rules to ensure that people’s data is handled and appropriately destroyed, we’ll unpack this below.
Your organization may handle users’ sensitive information such as their medical history, credit card info, addresses, and phone numbers while delivering online services. Alternatively, stored on HDDs or media drives, could hold trade secrets & valuable IP that are critical to the success of your business. This information could be misused for malicious intent without regard for impact or damages caused. Let’s take a glance at why secure data destruction ought to be implemented…
Protecting Business from Data Destruction Related Laws
Upholding people’s privacy is taken pretty seriously in democratic nations, which is why the law backs people’s right to privacy in many countries, including Australia. Besides, business is a group of people, and as people, we must respect boundaries. Although many citizens share similar concerns, businesses also have profit motives which can sometimes lead them to ignore boundaries and exploit others’ confidential information for profit.
To curb such practices, the Australian government drafted the Privacy Act and many other supporting laws which stipulate strict requirements for businesses regarding Information Destruction and Retention Requirements.
As per law, when a business is expected to destroy the customers’ data, it must do so with secure data destruction. Failing to comply with such regulations can incur hefty fines for the business. So, data sanitization is essential for businesses regardless of what information is collected and stored.
Maintaining Data Security
Even if not mandated by the government, businesses must think seriously about secure data destruction because competitors can use leaked data. Companies with Intellectual Property and other Trade Secret materials in their media drives should go through secure hard drive destruction, especially if they plan to upgrade their systems. Doing so would ensure the data security of the company and prevent any economic woes as a result of data leakage.
In certain cases, it becomes necessary to remove your data from certain servers and devices. This is to make sure no one can use any residual information against you. Although wiping all data may seem like a loss; you have no other choice if it means protecting your privacy or getting compromised. Of course – ensure essential information is backed up first! When it comes to business, there will be times when you will need to destroy all data in your system. This is a way to make sure no company information will fall into the wrong hands.
Secure hard drive destruction is the most used service by businesses because it is common practice to store data on hard drives. Therefore, hard drives are the storage devices most focused on the blog for data destruction. I have also discussed CD drives, backup tapes, and other devices used in legacy systems, and how data destruction is carried out for these, discussed later in this blog. Depending upon the number of devices to process, organizational requirements, and the nature of destruction intended, several methods can carry out data destruction. Moreover, here is a closer look at each secure data destruction method and the pros and cons connected with each method.
Reformatting
Reformatting and deleting files from a device is one of the most basic data destruction methods. Although it doesn’t ‘securely’ erase the file from the system, it is, however, a good start. Reformatting is the act of deleting an entire hard disk sector and is a much milder form of erasing data compared with destroying a hard drive.
Advantages of Data Destruction by Reformatting
Easily doable.
It is a speedy method of erasing data.
Does the job for individual users.
Disadvantages of Data Destruction by Reformatting
Data can still be extracted.
Even though it’s fast, it doesn’t completely guarantee complete data destruction.
For organizations with a lot of devices and sensitive requirements, it’s not enough.
Suitability of Reformatting as Data Destruction Method
Reformatting is suitable for individuals with not so stringent requirements, but for organizations with sensitive data, this method is quite futile as data can be extracted from the reformatted storage device.
Data Erasure/ Wiping (Using Software)
Data erasure/ overwriting is the process of covering the code of a particular file with a pattern of ones and zeroes. Let’s make it more straightforward. Files on the hard drive are laid out as a series of 0’s and 1s. In the overwriting process, those 0’s and 1’s are removed and overwritten with another file (different series of 0’s and 1’s).
Overwriting can be done more than once to make sure that the data is deleted. The pattern you overwrite does not need to be random. Overwriting does work, but it takes quite a while to achieve. Using software such as Blancco, data can be easily erased and verified many times over to ensure the data destruction has been carried out, leaving no trace of old data behind.
What’s even more lucrative is that the hard drives that undergo the data erasure method are reusable and can be redeployed in a business as required, saving businesses a lot of money. Or in some cases, these devices can be resold and extract value.
Advantages of Data Erasure
Simple deployment as this method is software-based.
It is a very effective and secure method of erasing data.
Data erasure is flexible and can be conducted in a live environment on-premises.
Devices that undergo data erasure can be reused again.
Disadvantages of Data Erasure
Requires expertise and trained technicians to process devices.
Can be time-consuming, depending on the size of HDDs and quantity.
Suitability of Data Erasure as Data Destruction Method
Software-based data erasure is suitable for most organizations as it can be conducted in a live environment without disrupting the system. It’s not as physically strenuous, messy, and logistically complicated as physical destruction. Having said that, organizations wanting to process a huge number of HDDs and wish to destroy data fast, prefer hard drive shredding.
Hard Drive Degaussing
Hard drive degaussing is a method of data destruction that involves a strong magnetic field to remove the data. In this method, the hard drives are subjected to strong magnetic waves to remove the data stored in them. This is a rather complex process of destroying data from a hard drive and not universally applicable to all memory types.
Degaussing is a comparatively impractical method of data destruction as it can be a bit complex and not accessible to most people. Moreover, this method does not apply to SSD and flash drives. So, hard drive degaussing is rather impractical, a somewhat redundant method, and not preferred by many industries.
Advantages of Hard Drive Degaussing
Degaussing hard drives can destroy the data on them with minimal effort.
Hard drive degaussing can be used to process huge volumes of storage devices.
Disadvantages of Hard Drive Degaussing
The cost of degaussing a hard drive is a bit high.
Requires a special degaussing machine.
Hard drives processed using degaussing cannot be reused and are turned into e-waste.
It is completely unusable for SSDs and Flash media drives.
Suitability of Hard Drive Degaussing as Data Destruction Method
Using hard drive degaussing along with physical destruction can provide a high level of data security if data centers or businesses want to render hard drives completely useless. That said, hard drive degaussing is not suitable for SSDs, and most modern drives are SSDs.
Physical Destruction of Hard Drives
Physical destruction of the hard drive is a method where the hard drive is either crushed and destroyed or pulverized into small segments of fine powder to destroy the data stored in it. Physical destruction is scalable as a considerable volume of hard drives can be crushed using a portable machine or an industrial-grade shredder. Physical destruction of the hard drive is pretty straightforward and can be accomplished by any service provider having access to the relevant equipment.
Physical destruction of the hard drive is carried out a bit differently for Hard Disk Drive (HDDs) and Solid State Drive (SSDs) as they store data differently. For HDDs, larger particles are permissible, but for complete physical destruction of SSDs, the size of the shredder must be set such that the Drive is crushed or pulverized to an even smaller size. Usually, the smaller (or finer) the pulverized SSD, means more secure destruction.
Advantages of Physical Hard Drive Destruction
Physical HDD or SSD destruction is scalable and used for processing huge volumes of data storage devices.
It is the most cost-effective method for complete disposal.
It can be used for hard drives, SSDs, flash drives, CDs, and all kinds of storage devices.
Disadvantages of Physical Hard Drive Destruction
Physical destruction of drives does not allow for reusability or remarketing but it does ensure complete data destruction.
Types of Secure Data Destruction Services
Secure data destruction is best carried out with the help of a certified and experienced service provider, as the process of data destruction requires technical expertise. Also, service providers should provide a serial number list with a certificate of data destruction (or data erasure) which shifts the liability to them. In the case that data has not been destroyed, the service provider will be liable for any damages related to a leak.
For businesses looking to find data destruction services, there are two major types of data destruction services that you need to be aware of. Let us discuss the types of secure data destruction services and discover what works best for your business.
Off-Site Data Destruction Services
Off-site data destruction services are carried out by transporting the storage devices and IT assets to the processing facilities of the service provider. The IT assets are transported to the service provider’s premises securely and then processed there. Businesses should be careful to select a service provider that ensures secure transportation of IT assets to their processing site. For businesses with large quantities of HDDs or media devices, bulk data destruction services are required, and thus, you need a service provider capable of handling this project.
On-Site Data Destruction Services
On-site data destruction services are for those businesses wanting better security and cannot risk their IT assets being transferred outside of their premises unless destroyed. The technicians and experts visit the data center/business along with the required equipment and carry out secure data destruction there. The representatives of the business can oversee the serial number capture and hard drive destruction process. This method is adopted by businesses with high-security requirements.
How To Choose a Data Destruction Service Provider?
For businesses requiring secure data destruction, choosing a reliable and trusted service provider is necessary. So, businesses/data centers seeking to destroy their data need to choose a vendor that has a proven track record of security in the data disposal process. The chosen vendor/service provider should conduct certified processes, capture all serial numbers of every media drive handled, and provide a certificate of destruction.
Secure Processing Facilities
Data Destruction service providers need to have secure processing facilities. No person should be able to enter without permission or access data bearing IT assets that could potentially be tampered with.
Standard Processes and Following Best Practices
Data destruction vendors that follow secure management processes are preferred over companies that work without set guidelines. Companies that remain up to date with data destruction trends and follow best industry practices should be preferred.
Correct Equipment and Trained Technicians
Secure data destruction can only be achieved with skillful technicians and proper equipment. Regardless of the method used to achieve data sanitization, skillful human resources and technical standards cannot be substituted for anything else.
Certifications and Reports of Data Destruction
Data destruction can be only considered secure if it is backed by reporting and certification. A service provider that hesitates to provide certificates should not be entertained by businesses. Therefore, a data destruction service provider must provide proper reports of the data destruction process.
In addition to these essential attributes, there may be several other factors that a business or data center should look for when selecting a data destruction service provider. These could include the cost of services, location, availability, or reputation within the industry.
Secure data destruction is the process of destroying the data stored on laptops, phones, hard drives, and other electronic devices. Once the destruction is completed, data will be completely unreadable and cannot be accessed by an unauthorized person.
The only best method for making data unreadable is degaussing, which involves a strong magnetic field to remove the data. This not only erases data but also destroys the device.
Your organization may handle users’ sensitive information such as their medical history, credit card info, addresses, and phone numbers while delivering online services. Alternatively, stored on HDDs or media drives could hold trade secrets & valuable IP that are critical to the success of your business. Therefore, secure data destruction’s primary goal is to prevent misusing sensitive and confidential information.
Destroying data is the most effective way to ensure that your data and information does not end up in the wrong hands. It is crucial when decommissioning your equipment, especially if it is going to be resold or recycled.
Basically, the three methods for destroying data are: overwriting, which involves replacing outdated information with new data; degaussing, which consists in erasing the magnetic field of the storage medium; and physical destruction, which involves methods like disk shredding. According to experts, each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages.
Privacy is very important. You need to make sure you keep your information safe. You should never share important details about yourself to people you don’t trust. Even if there’s no apparent threat to your data, you should still avoid leaving traces of your information anywhere. Another thing you can do to safeguard private information is to practice secure data destruction.
Any type of data that is important to you must always be secured. All information is important, but that doesn’t mean you should always keep them around. Keeping and preserving such information can become a liability to you and your company. And if this important data is no longer in use but is still confidential, you need to be smart enough to erase them.
People share and gather data every single day. You use your basic information to log in to servers and websites for personal and professional purposes. With data being passed around so freely, you need to make sure those who have access to your information are only those parties that you allow.
In certain cases, it becomes necessary to remove your data from certain servers and devices. This is to make sure no one can use any residual information against you. Although losing all your data might seem like a loss, you really have no other choice if it means protecting your privacy or getting compromised. When it comes to business, there will be times when you will need to destroy every data left in your system. This is a way to make sure no company information will be fall on the wrong hands.
Masking Method with Madness
The idea of having to destroy something doesn’t always spark joy. It means you might have to ruin something that took a lot of time and effort to make. In business, there will be times when you will need to switch to new systems and media platforms. This comes with the responsibility of having to erase any remaining information from your old system as to not have it fall to the wrong hands. You can call this method as data destruction.
Data destruction is the process of clearing, eradicating, and making sure that any and all data in a system becomes impossible to reread and reuse. This process helps businesses make sure that no other party can retrieve their files and use them for personal gain.
In an age where almost every business relies on technology to process and store every aspect of their operations, you need to make sure all your data is protected. And when they are no longer relevant, they must also be properly disposed of. It is a smart decision to destroy data that may no longer be needed. This unused information may no longer be relevant to your company, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to share it with anyone. This can still be utilised by other entities for illicit transactions.
The Right Path to Ruin
You may think that secure data destruction is the same as literally destroying your device to get rid of all information. That’s sort of true. But that’s not the only way to do things. You don’t have to go so far as to get your equipment smashed to bits. Plus, there are still tech-savvy individuals who can collect information from the broken pieces of your system.
What you need to do is make sure you leave no traces of your information in your system. Deleting your files from your computer is not enough. You need to follow certain methods to make sure your systems are clean. This is especially necessary when you plan on changing and upgrading your systems. To clean out your system, you need to know the different approaches used for data destruction. Here are some methods used to have a clean system.
Reformatting
Reformatting and deleting files from a device is one of the most basic methods of data destruction. Although it doesn’t really fully erase the file from the system, it is however a good start. After doing this, you may need to do other precautionary measure to ensure that your files are completely erased.
Overwriting Data
Overwriting is the process of covering the code of a certain file with a pattern of ones and zeroes. Overwriting can be done more than once to make sure that the data is really deleted. The pattern you overwrite does not need to be random. Overwriting does work, but it takes quite a while to achieve.
Degaussing
Computers and other devices rely on electricity to function. That is why degaussing is a trusted method for data destruction. This process includes using strong magnets to disrupt the magnetic fields around a device. Although it is effective, it does make your device impossible to reuse.
Physical Destruction
Physically destroying a device will of course get rid of a lot of data. It makes a lot of chips hard to read and not usable. If a device is fully, and completely smashed, you can be sure that no data is saved. This will cost you a lot of money though. And you’ll have to say goodbye to your whole system.
Your information should never reach the wrong people. That is why you should practice secure data destruction. If you don’t think you’re able to handle this on your own, there are professional data destruction services that can help you out.
If you are looking to let go of your computers, servers, or any data-storing devices or pieces of equipment, secure data erasure is extremely important. Whether you’re the owner of a personal device or you manage a fleet of business IT assets, you’ll need your data thoroughly wiped before you either dispose or sell them.
What is Secure Data Erasure?
Secure data erasure is one of the three methods to achieve data sanitization and although used interchangeably with secure data destruction by some people, it is slightly different than data destruction. I will explain the differences between these terms in a while. For now, let’s explore what data erasure is.
Data erasure is a software-based overwriting which is used to clear the contents of a hard drive or any storage device that completely deletes the contents of the media irrecoverably. Deletion commands only remove the file but until that location of deleted data is not occupied by new data, it can be recovered by the software. You know what? Let’s Dive DEEPER! I will make sure you understand this in detail.
Basically, digital data is stored as a series of 0’s and 1’s across the hard drive and when you delete the files, the files are not completely eradicated. Until that space is not occupied by new files (new series of 0’s and 1’s), that file is still recoverable using the software.
The process of data erasure entails software-based overwriting and iterative verification to truly see if the deleted data has vanished or not. So, data erasure is the process of software-based overwriting that removes the contents of a drive beyond recovery and backs that up with a certificate.
What is Secure Data Destruction?
As the name suggests, data destruction is the process of destructing the data contents of a disk drive. Now, there are several ways to do it. One simple way is to just shred the drive into a fine powder. You can degauss the drive using a strong magnet and completely remove their data. Technically, data erasure is also a method of data destruction. In this respect, you can consider data destruction as an umbrella term that covers all methods of data destruction.
If you know everything about secure data destruction, now go ahead and learn why data erasure and data destruction are different concepts. However, if you feel like you want to go down the rabbit hole, there’s a detailed blog that covers everything about this topic. Go ahead and see this blog about Secure Data Destruction.
Secure Data Erasure Vs. Secure Data Destruction: Key Differences
Secure Data Destruction
Secure Data Erasure
Data destruction is the process of destructing the data present in a storage device by any method.
Secure data erasure is a software-based overwriting that ensures that no data can be recovered
Data destruction may not necessarily accompany certificates of destruction.
Data erasure is backed by a certificate that a company attests to the complete irrecoverability of the data.
Data destruction methods such as physical destruction and degaussing render the device completely useless for use.
Data erasure is a method that destructs only the data and ensures the device’s usability.
Usually, data erasure is a more flexible method but sometimes organizations might require options for data destruction as well. It all depends on the kind of requirement, the number of devices, and the constraints of the organization.
Personal or Consumer Concerns Related to Data Erasure
Why don’t I just delete my files?
While the words “delete” and “erase” may technically be synonyms, they are not the same when applied in the context of data destruction. When you delete your files, you simply make it inaccessible to the user. However, data recovery is still possible if special techniques and software are implemented. It is safe to say that file or data deletion is simply temporary. When you need to free up your memory or organize your files, that’s when deleting is best.
Erasing data using a certified data erasure software irrecoverably deletes the contents of the storage device. The process removes them from the device as if they were never there in the first place.
Why isn’t a Factory Reset Enough?
If you are planning to decommission your business’ IT assets, proceeding without data erasure may result in a data breach as data can be recovered even after the physical destruction of the storage device. Mobile devices have flash memory, and with a factory reset, the contents of the chip itself may still be there, but the operating system (or you) will not be able to see it. Again, it would take expert hands to recover those files, but they are recoverable unless secure data destruction or erasure has been achieved.
What about a Hard Drive Format? Would that do the Trick?
Similar to the effects of a factory reset, formatting your hard drive may not remove the data still stored in your computer or laptop. Though there would be extra steps needed to access that data, data recovery is still possible as the data is intact even after formatting until rewritten.
The purpose of a format is to take out the device’s file system so that a new one can be created – a good way to think about it is that the original data may be ‘buried’ under the new file system. It’s invisible to the OS but it is technically still there. Consider using certified data erasure software to wipe your data so that it’s impossible to be recovered using any method.
My laptop/cellphone/tablet/computer is beyond damaged. Should I still submit this for data wiping?
If you are planning to throw it away or send it to a recycling facility, then yes, the best thing to do would be to submit the device for data wiping. You should at least consult with an IT specialist for a recommended data erasure software to achieve data security (they likely will).
Your device might be so damaged that the data could be unreadable – but this is unlikely as electronic devices are a lot smarter than we thought! If yours is a personal device, time spent on the data erasure shouldn’t take too long, especially when the best resources are used and you’ve got a qualified specialist doing the work.
Business Concerns Related to Data Erasure
Why is Professional Secure Data Erasure Important for Us?
If you are planning to decommission your business’ IT assets, proceeding without data erasure may result in a data breach. If you sell or dispose of your servers, for example, without having data erasure performed on them first, you would be exposing the sensitive data of your clients, employees, and company as a whole.
Data breaches have caused serious trouble for plenty of businesses – identity theft, credit card fraud, wire fraud, or other types of data-related crime. In the worst cases, data may even be held for ransom, similar to ransomware attacks. There’s plenty at stake when it comes to data security.
We need to upgrade our IT assets but we do not want to lose our data. Would a data backup be included in the process?
Yes, that can certainly be arranged, most likely with the same provider you sought for your secure data destruction. If data needs to be moved to your new servers or devices, they will likely be backed up first before the original data in the old assets will be erased.
In the same way that information from hard copies dated decades ago was transferred to today’s digital storage systems, digitally stored information can always be transferred to assets you believe are of better quality or are more up-to-date.
We are not confident with selling our IT assets even after secure data destruction. What can be done about them?
If you choose to dispose of your old IT assets instead, the best way to do so is to submit them to a recycling facility. They will be disassembled and picked apart – materials such as copper or metal can still be used to create other pieces of equipment.
Eco IT Solutions Can Provide Secure Data Erasure for You
Whether it’s a personal device or a business asset that needs data wiped off, we at Eco IT Solutions have got you covered. With our data erasure software Blancco, you can rest assured that your sensitive information won’t fall in the wrong hands.
Ask us about our services today. You may call us on 02 8055 3775 or email us at info@ecoitsolutions.com. You may also contact us through our website’s inquiry form.
Data destruction services are extremely essential today when the digital age has brought both boom and bane. As we as a society move our data digitally, we get to process and access them more efficiently. We save time running errands or getting important tasks accomplished – making a purchase, preparing bank statements, applying for grants or loans, or whatever task you have in mind. We even get to save paper, which is extremely beneficial for the environment.
However, for all its advantages, this culture of storing data digitally has also made our data vulnerable to the ill intentions of fraudsters, hackers, or other criminals who would benefit from this data. Thankfully, there are ways to keep data secure. When data is useful and must be accessed in IT assets, companies’ IT departments should endeavor to build an impenetrable security system around the data of their company as well as their clients.
But when data is stored in devices that will soon be rendered to be ‘old’ or ‘junk’, the first thing that one must do is plan for a data destruction service. How can this save you down the line? Read on to learn more.
Data Destruction
Don’t be intimidated by the word ‘destruction’ here – yes, there is a way to destroy data without destroying the laptop, computer, or server itself. Data destruction simply refers to the erasure of all data stored in a device. Secure data destruction providers use a special software program to completely render all data in a device 100 percent irretrievable. The device or server basically becomes good as new, as if no one had ever touched it or input information on it ever before.
Data Destruction Services: How Can It Save You?
It Gives Grubby Hands Nothing to Scavenge for.
For digital criminals, sensitive information is gold. With information such as credit card numbers, birth dates, home addresses, and other similar pieces of information, they can successfully commit identity fraud. This allows them to steal money from an account that is not theirs or authorize transactions pretending to be the person whose identity they stole. Identity fraud is only one of the ways they can do their dirty work.
If, for example, your company owns a server that contains the information of your employees or clients, and you later decide to sell that server as an asset management strategy, you have to have these servers undergo data erasure first. Otherwise, the data found in these servers will be easily accessed and may even be sold to criminals such as those mentioned above.
You do not want to risk exposing your precious IP data or employees to extremely high privacy risks, as that would fall very heavily on your shoulders as a company. Millions of dollars are spent annually to keep data secure when servers are active, why would a company not have a secure data destruction strategy when this equipment is decommissioned? Data erasure does not even take long – using a partner with a reputable team will allow a data erasure period that is both time and cost-efficient.
It Allows You to Sell Your Devices With Utmost Peace of Mind.
Let’s say you are a private individual looking to sell something as simple as an old laptop. Intuitively, you transfer all your files to a hard drive or upload them on an online cloud storage program so you can access them in the future and transfer them to a new laptop. Then, you delete all remaining files in your laptop – by simply pressing delete. Would that be enough to remove all traces of you and your data on your device?
The answer is no. Even though your laptop seems “clean” after you delete all your folders, files, or apps, much of your data may still be retrievable, and those with impeccable IT skills can do it without breaking a sweat. So, when your laptop finally reaches the hands of your buyer, you still cannot go home with the assurance that you’ve cleared all the breadcrumbs on your path. You would still be vulnerable to privacy and security risks.
Here’s where data destruction comes in. Simply submit your device for data destruction – most providers will just let you sit back and wait while they roll up their sleeves and work. After that, you can hand it over to your buyer, make your profit, and get on with your life in peace!
It Encourages You to Continue Choosing Better Devices.
Today’s models of desktop computers, servers, laptops, or other devices are designed to be sleeker and more lightweight. This makes for more spacious offices or homes, and laptops and other easy-to-carry devices. This feature makes it even more travel-friendly. Plus, newer models are more efficient and user-accommodating than their older counterparts. So, there’s definitely a steady demand for new devices or IT equipment.
The problem that this creates is – you guessed it – waste. In the interest of data security, some companies or individuals opt to just keep their old devices in storage rooms, collecting dust. Worse, they do end up in a landfill, and not only will this create toxic waste, but this may even also allow more grubby hands to physically scavenge through heaps of rubbish for data (talk about literal data mining.)
Fortunately, for you, it’s easy to get rid of these devices without sacrificing your data security. Have them undergo data erasure before you sell them, donate them, or bring them to recycling facilities.
Avail Data Destruction Services at Eco IT Solutions
We at Eco IT Solutions use the data erasure software Blancco to ensure your device is 100% clean of your traces. Enquire today. Call us at 02 8055 3775 or email us at info@ecoitsolutions.com. You may also message via our online enquiry form.
There will come a time when you will have to bid goodbye to every device on your organization’s network. This includes your computers, printers, laptops, and keyboards, and occasionally businesses are required to decommission a server. Although goodbyes are hard, it’s something that everybody has to accept and do for the common good.
Now, decommissioning old IT equipment is not easy. Therefore, we’ve created a server decommissioning checklist to break down the complex process into smaller and more manageable pieces. But before we delve into that part, here are a few important reminders to consider.
Sometimes, referred to as the server decommissioning process template, this checklist is important to follow as the success of the server decommissioning process depends on it.
Server Decommissioning Vs. Data Center Decommissioning
Server Decommissioning and Data Center decommissioning are used interchangeably on many occasions but there is a slight difference between these two services. A server is an individual device that might be located in a business or a data center. Therefore, decommissioning a server means retiring or replacing a single server only. However, the data center is comprised of multiple servers, networking devices, and other associated peripherals.
Data center decommissioning might include multiple servers as well as other network devices that might require decommissioning. This is the only difference between these topics. The planning and checklist provided in this blog are suitable for both servers and data centers.
Important Reminders About Server Decommissioning Process
The entire data center or server decommissioning process requires detailed planning, especially considering maintaining a live environment for the business. Furthermore, a key consideration should be your organization’s sensitive information in your data center, and its security during disposal.
The importance of data protection in organizations is generally understood, but the risks and implications associated with poor data center decommissioning are not. Luckily today, more professionals for data protection regulations and companies exist to provide this service, making storage, networking, and server decommissioning easy and accessible.
Think about it, most companies now consider cyber security an important tool to protect their IP and valuable data… why should this be any different when decommissioning your old equipment where the data still exists? Along with cyber security, companies should have a proper data destruction policy so that data leaks or issues do not emerge.
So, businesses must adequately follow the server decommissioning checklist (Server Decommissioning plan template) to ensure everything goes smoothly.
Creating Server Decommission Plans at Initial Phase
During the initial phase, the project manager will draft the scope of work that needs to be done. He/she will establish goals and come up with expected project outcomes. S/he will also identify milestones and timelines. As much as possible, s/he will establish and set the necessary workflows to prevent the loss of crucial data when making decommissioning plans.
Remember that the initial setup phase can make or break the entire storage, networking, and server decommissioning process. To avoid problems and issues in the process, here is a list of things that you need to do during the initial phase:
Identify and communicate with relevant decision-makers. First, identify all the people involved in the decision-making process. Assign tasks to each one of them. Set up a communication channel for everyone involved and keep them updated every step of the way.
Appoint a project manager. Assign or appoint somebody to oversee the entire server decommissioning process. It would be great to choose a person who has extensive experience with decommissioning old IT equipment.
Set a budget. When setting a budget, it helps to work with a qualified auditor to provide you with a valid and concise valuation of your hardware and assets. And then, work together to come up with a realistic estimate of the expenses.
Establish a timetable. After setting a budget, it’s time to establish a timetable. The less organized and the less prepared you are, the more likely that issues and delays will occur. If everyone in the project knows when a goal is due, then everything should proceed smoothly.
Outline the scope of work. Every process and stage of the data center and server decommissioning should be outlined clearly. You must assign who is responsible for what, how, when, and where. This way, the process stays fluid and consistent.
Prepare a document with all the contact information of your team members. You can never tell when issues may arise, so it’s best to create a document with all the contact information of all the important people, contractors, and other team members. You don’t want your technician to find a critical error in the process, only to be unable to contact relevant service providers.
Set a time to start the server decommissioning process. It is ideal to schedule the server decommissioning process off hours. This is ideal during a data center migration situation, but it still comes in handy during a server or data center decommissioning.
Server Decommissioning Process
At this stage, all servers that need to be decommissioned need to be logged. The person in charge will have to identify the final designation of the data center equipment whether they need to be repurposed, resold, or recycled. Also, he/she needs to identify and retain the software licenses associated with the servers to be decommissioned.
Other things to do in this stage are as follows:
Cancel Vendor Contracts of the Server
Any kind of vendor maintenance and other contracts of the data center or the server must be scheduled for cancellation before going forward with decommissioning of a server. Breach of contracts with any parties with regard to the server can become costly to your business if you do not follow this step. As per the timeline set while developing decommission plans, do not forget this step from the server decommissioning checklist for smooth decommissioning of a server.
Run Proper Simulations for Live Systems
If decommissioning is to be carried out in a live environment, running simulations on all the backups are necessary to test the proper working of the system. As downtime can be pretty costly in some scenarios, doing this can help minimize the downtime of the server and makes your business more credible.
Always Have a Backup!!
Create a comprehensive backup, or transfer data to the new devices so that any contingencies can be dealt with. Whilst creating a backup, make sure that you follow the correct process as each server can be different and may require specific expertise.
Secure Data Erasure
Now that all the above steps are completed, we can begin secure data erasure. I have preached again and again about the need for secure data erasure and once again, I must say businesses need to take it very seriously. Secure data erasure services are already a part of a server decommissioning process and if using a professional service, everything will be handled appropriately. This step highlights the importance of secure data erasure using a software wiping method like Blancco.
Disconnect The Devices from Network
In this step, you must disconnect all the equipment from the network which is pretty straightforward. Depending upon the complexity of the network, you will require expert manpower to deal with technical issues such as removing firewalls, subnets, and other necessary actions.
Power down or disconnect the Server
It’s time to power down the server. After all the steps have been finished, you will need to disconnect and power down the devices from the power plugs. Seems too small but I want this blog to be as comprehensive as possible as it can also present possible areas of concern for a business… for example, perhaps you still have systems running on these servers from the previous IT Manager, powering them down will immediately highlight this to arrange a solution.
Achieve Complete Data Sanitization
Secure data erasure using Blanco or other software must be completed, if not already completed in the steps above. If software-bashttps://ecoitsolutions.com/server-decommissioning-checklist/ed data erasure is not part of the scope (which sometimes can occur), it would be best to use physical destruction services or any relevant data destruction methods to achieve complete data sanitization. This can be done either on-site or off-site depending on your data security requirements.
Get Data Erasure Certificates
Obtain the certificates of the data erasure confirmation performed on the devices. You should insist on a copy of all serial numbers from devices or hard drives. Remember, the only way you can ensure complete, secure data destruction is once you receive a certificate from a trusted company – this protects your reputation and exposure.
If you’ve decided to go through the ordeal of server decommissioning, the most important point of focus is ensuring certified data destruction. Some companies may offer to pay money for excess data devices & e-waste but could avoid providing certificates of data erasure and disposal – this is a warning sign, if you do not pay for the service, then it’s likely that your products are their payment. So, getting certificates is a very important step of the server decommissioning checklist that you cannot miss at all.
Get Audit Logs and Reports
Finally, you will go through an audit report of the entire decommissioning project to assess for areas of improvement. It is your right to obtain audit logs of each and every activity carried out by the server decommissioning company.
This checklist can be helpful for any business that is planning to decommission its server/ data center. You must make sure that the organization providing decommissioning services can satisfy all nine server decommissioning checklist elements and any other requirements you might have.
Disposition After Decommission of Server
In this stage, the project manager needs to ensure the hardware is separated for auditing & processing. Auditing and processing warrant that servers along with other hardware are evaluated and labeled for either reuse or e-waste.
A supporting company can assist in removal, auditing, processing, and reporting for this asset disposal stage. Lastly, the project manager should coordinate with the finance and accounting department, so that all servers and assets are taken off the books and that software licenses are accounted for. Although specific implementation can vary, this server decommissioning checklist can be applied to most servers and data centers.
Why Use Eco IT Solutions for Server Decommissioning?
Decommissioning servers, storage, and networking from data centers do not have to be a headache. If you have this checklist and a project manager, then the entire process will be made easy.
At Eco IT Solutions, we aim to make the end-of-life decommissioning and IT Asset Disposal process easier for organizations. If you need a trustworthy server decommissioning company that is backed by years of experience in the industry, we are happy to help. We have years of experience in decommissioning servers.
By partnering with industry specialists in server or other enterprise decommissioning, we guarantee that the entire process will go smoothly, and you’ll have the reporting and certifications you need to keep your data safe and organization sustainable. Contact us today!
Organizations store huge quantities of sensitive data on their IT hardware and electronic equipment. Once these devices reach the end of their life, they become a burden to business owners as the need for safekeeping and securing data arises. They fear that confidential information might fall into the wrong hands and affect the organization’s name and reputation. For this reason, they are led to a search for secure IT equipment disposal. Having a proper data destruction policy and secure disposal of IT equipment is necessary for all organizations wanting to securely erase data.
What is Secure IT Equipment Disposal?
Big businesses can choose to just throw their old IT assets away at landfills or at recycling bins near them. This would be disposal but surely won’t be secure. Careless disposal of IT equipment can cause harm to the environment as electronic wastes in landfills won’t do any good to the environment.
More than that, there is a chance of data being stolen from those devices which hamper the credibility of the company and can even mean hefty fines for not complying with the country’s privacy laws. Also, secure IT disposal prioritizes asset recovery and remarketing which could bring money into the company.
Therefore, secure IT equipment disposal refers to the method of disposing of old IT assets and devices in an environment-friendly way and also ensuring all the data from those devices cannot be recovered by any method whatsoever. It involves steps such as creating an asset list, designating their end state, and figuring out the best method for secure data erasure before recycling the electronic waste.
What is the Difference Between IT equipment Disposal and E-waste Disposal?
If you haven’t noticed, we have written a separate blog for Electronic waste disposal and some of you might feel why to cover IT Equipment Disposal on a separate blog altogether. The difference between these terms is a bit technical which I will be mentioning here.
E-waste is an umbrella term that defines all kinds of electronic waste including HDDs, computers, printers, televisions, laptops, cameras, car batteries, or any other electronic components that are deemed unusable. IT Assets on the other hand are those assets that are used by the company on a day-to-day basis for serving customers and facilitating data storage.
These mostly include technical equipment and can also be said electronic waste. Just one major difference is that IT assets refer to e wastes of businesses and data centers while e-wastes are generally used to refer to waste pertaining to both individuals and businesses.
Why Is the Secure Disposal of IT Equipment Important?
While obsolete and damaged IT assets like DVDs, CDs, PCs, smartphones, flash drives, memory cards, and hard drives can be reformatted, erased, wiped, or degaussed, if the physical devices themselves remain intact, it is likely that data can still be retrieved. Moreover, server decommissioning or data center decommissioning can uncover huge volumes of devices and HDDs requiring proper data destruction.
To reduce the risks, secure data destruction should be implemented. For printer disposal, computer disposal, hardware disposal, or any other kind of IT asset disposal, data destruction is the process of ensuring that data on HDDs of disposing of assets is irrecoverable.Let’s take a quick look at some of the importance of proper IT equipment disposal…
Aside from complying with local legislation and ensuring your data remains safe, the secure disposal of IT Equipment has lots of benefits. We’ve listed some of them below:
1. Preserve our natural resources. Recycled IT hardware components are often reused in the assembly or fabrication of new computers. By extending the use of these components, the need to create new materials like metal and plastic is ultimately lowered.
2. Maximize the value of your outdated IT equipment. Working with certified IT disposal companies allows you to resell an IT component and maximize its value. The sales returns can offset the asset disposal costs and even return a credit to your business.
3. Avoid unnecessary data risks. If you don’t work with a certified ITAD company, you might put your company’s data at risk. Millions of dollars are spent on cyber security, it is important to maintain this level of diligence at hardware disposal.
4. Leave a lasting positive impact on the community. Your old IT equipment might have already served its purpose for your organization, but it may still be useful to others. The secure disposal of your IT assets provides an opportunity to support your community as there are notable benefits of e-waste recycling for the environment as well as the local community. There might be causes headed by charitable institutions that will benefit from a computer donation rather than old computer disposal. Even if the devices aren’t usable, lodging them for IT recycling is ideal for the environment.
How to Safely Conduct IT Equipment Disposal?
Now that you have known about the “What” and the “Why” of IT assets disposal, let’s explore the “How” of safe IT assets disposal. So… how to dispose of IT equipment? There are two major activities that guarantee IT disposal is a secure one- secure data destruction and then recycling. The IT equipment and old computer recycling process is a part of the IT equipment disposal process.
Secure data destruction is the most important process that guarantees data security and prevents any possibility of data theft from discarded devices. Some methods of data destruction such as shredding automatically ensure the disposal of hard drives or other devices. Now, let us see how the data erasure process works as ensuring complete data destruction essentially guarantees secure IT equipment disposal.
How Secure Data Destruction Works?
In the process of disposing of IT equipment and data destruction, several methods can be used. But as for most companies, they use the Blancco data erasure software. It’s among the most secure and trusted software when it comes to getting rid of data.
The use of the Blancco data erasure software includes reporting and allows an opportunity for IT asset remarketing over traditional physical destruction methods. With this software, data sanitization can be achieved and even erased in a live environment without experiencing downtimes.
For old computer disposal or any kind of IT Asset disposal, data destruction ensures that the disposal cannot harm the organization in any way, making the process of hard drive disposal very easy.
In addition, all confidential and personal data are wiped from devices in the most secure way. After that, a certification of erasure is issued per device for legislation compliance. Here’s a quick overview of the inclusions of a secure data destruction service:
Hardware Collection – The company will arrange a pickup schedule for the collection of your IT equipment.
Asset list – At this stage, all IT components should have already reached the facility. Now, a list of all IT assets is created, and everything will be sorted accordingly.
Data Destruction – During the data destruction process, digital and magnetic media, such as discs and hard drives are destroyed. At the end of the process, data can no longer be read or retrieved. This process will be explained further below.
Certification – The ITAD company then gives a certificate of secure data destruction.
A Closer Look into the Entire Data Erasure Process
Because the data destruction process requires technical expertise, only certified and licensed ITAD companies are allowed to offer secure asset disposal of IT equipment services. But to give you a better idea of what they do here’s a quick overview of the process:
Fetch the hard disk parameters.
Test the hard drive for errors. Most of the time, the SMART self-test will be used. But this is only optional.
Next, write hard disk sectors with specific patterns starting with sector number 0. Count the written errors as they come up as bad sectors.
Now, the buffers are flushed. Errors will be checked again in this stage.
If there are multiple overwriting passes specified, steps 3 and 4 need to be repeated. You will notice that the number of bad sectors is multiplied by the amount of overwriting passes.
You may ask, “what if the Blancco data erasure software fails in the process?” Well, that should not be a problem because the concerned device will be destroyed onsite in the company’s secured shredding facility. The device will be shredded into tiny pieces.
When Do You Need a Secure Data Destruction Service?
When is a secure data destruction service needed? There are many instances and situations that call for it. People need to be adept at minimizing e-waste before disposing of every electronic waste rampantly and only disposing of waste after erasing all their data. Perhaps your company’s data are scattered across different systems and you need to reduce your maintenance costs by migrating everything to bigger and more reliable hardware. Or maybe there has been a sudden acquisition of a business, which requires extra hardware for redundant data and applications or requires a change in current working methods.
In such cases, businesses might seek printer disposal solutions, disposal of printer cartridges, or any other asset disposal depending on the kind of changes implemented in the business.
Are you moving offices soon? Then you might want to consider the options to securely get rid of any obsolete IT equipment or choose e-waste recycling services. Many local companies that offer electronic recycling in Australia may assist you with all your office logistics, so there shouldn’t be much of a problem here.
Not only will you have a hassle-free experience when moving to your new office space, you might also earn money from reselling reusable components.
However, if no local electronic recycling facilities serving your area, it is best to find companies that offer ITAD services. They can also assist and help with the logistics.
Why Choose Eco IT Solutions?
There are plenty of companies that offer ITAD and computer recycling in Sydney, but why choose Eco IT Solutions? We make this process easy and hassle-free, convenient for you with 24-48hr collection times.
Our IT asset disposal services are compliant with the data protection legislation and in line with environmentally responsible ISO certifications of 14001, and 9001. You will receive data erasure and responsible e-waste disposal certificates for each batch.
Should you be interested in any of our services, feel free to reach out. Call us at 02 8055 3775 or visit us at Level 3, 11 York St., Sydney, NSW, 2000.
As organizations grow and evolve, they will upgrade their IT equipment. In an ever-evolving IT landscape where upgrades are frequent, organizations are faced with a tough question: What to do with old electronics and IT assets of the company?
One easy way is to just sell these assets through IT Asset Remarketing. IT hardware sales are a multi-billion-dollar industry; that being stated a plethora of IT managers, that work for companies both large and small fail to maximize the value of their older assets when refreshing equipment.
Managers must look for IT asset remarketing services so that they can get tremendous value for the devices they are trying to replace. They are either unaware that these re-sale channels exist or simply prefer to trade it into Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that they’re purchasing from.
The concept here is that the pennies on the dollar bargain trade-in value are worth having the equipment off of the floor as soon as possible. Moore’s law states that processing power doubles every 18 months… Now how does that affect resale value?
Far too many of these IT managers fall short of realizing that there are trusted partners, that specialize in end of life hardware solutions and asset remarketing in order to assist enterprises in obtaining the highest possible value for their end of life IT equipment.
Old computers, old communication devices as well as old data storage devices can be remarketed in order to recover funds for future IT Asset use. In the current business climate, it certainly is of the utmost importance to counter both the budget constraints and economic pressures by selling re-marketable assets.
IT hardware buyback programs also known as asset remarketing are an easy way of accomplishing this. Lining up an IT equipment re-sale partner to manage the entire end of life hardware strategy prior to purchasing new equipment is absolutely necessary to ensure a stress free process and an opportunity to get the ‘spot price’ market value for your used hardware.
In fact, most experts highly suggest that IT managers begin working with these companies before the budget for new IT assets is formulated. It will ensure that the entire management team will have the ability to accurately calculate the impact of the new expenditure. So, companies that sell old electronics in Australia or internationally can gain hefty profits which can be used to upgrade the company’s IT budget.
For example, the budget may allow for additional equipment to be purchased due to the fact that the old electronic equipment is returning more of a payoff than expected. This in turn makes the process of retiring old devices and buying new IT assets far easier for the IT manager.
In addition to the positive financial impact that a trusted re-sale partner provides, there are a few additional benefits of IT asset remarketing to consider. Typically speaking when IT equipment is traded into OEMs selling new hardware they tend to offer significantly less than market value to capitalize on the convenience of a ‘one-stop shop’. Furthermore, financially it’s common that OEMs to add on an extra 2-3% discount on new sales to counter the bitter taste of the exceptionally low offers on the used hardware.
So, you decide to convert your used electronic equipment into a refreshed budget… what happens to the used equipment that’s been traded in? It is by far the greener solution, otherwise known as better for the environment to actually re-use as much equipment in its intended format BEFORE then recycling them.
There are many smaller companies that need to refresh hardware yet simply cannot afford the expensive infrastructure investment. There are many smaller companies that need to refresh hardware yet simply cannot afford the expensive investment to buy IT assets.They greatly appreciate the opportunity to purchase useful used equipment that has gone through IT asset remarketing.
It can be detrimental for company information to end up in the wrong hands, so it is critical that you choose a secondary hardware partner that specializes in data erasure as part of their end-of-life hardware solution. Know that there are differences between data erasure and data destruction. Organizations have to implement data erasure if they want to remarket their IT assets.
In conclusion, when it is time to pull the plug on your old IT equipment there certainly are far better options than collecting ‘paperweights’ or even trading it in with OEM programs. A trusted re-sale partner will provide real-time market value and ensure the equipment is properly handled. Every company, being an IT reseller, an end user, or a Data Centre should have a trusted partner to help build their end-of-life hardware strategy. If you need a professional company that will provide IT asset remarketing services, Eco IT Solutions is the one to choose. Make the most of our remarketing services to increase the IT budget of your firm starting today.
You do not want to risk exposing your precious IP data or employees to extremely high privacy risks, as that would fall very heavily on your shoulders as a company. Millions of dollars are spent annually to keep data secure when servers are active, why would a company not have a secure data destruction strategy when this equipment is decommissioned? Data erasure does not even take long – using a partner with a reputable team will allow a data erasure period that is both time and cost-efficient.
