Data thefts by employees are reported to be among the top risks associated with disposed IT assets. In this age of information technology, every nitty gritty of businesses and companies lies in circuit boards and magnetic discs. Computers have become a part and parcel of working and as we are stepping into a more electronic world, the implications are growing. Following the concern, we also have a government act by the name of Data Protection Act, 1998. The act states, “Proper specialized and hierarchical measures should be taken against unapproved or unlawful handling of individual information and against inadvertent misfortune or obliteration of, or harm to, individual information."
However, what about the situation when you have outsourced the data disposal to a third party? This too can end up in unwanted situation and there have been many cases where companies have lost sensitive data and were exposed in the wrong way.
Choosing the right IT recycling company is a pressing need today but not many are aware of the steps involved. Let’s take a look at the characteristics that a professional data destruction service provider must have.
ü Certification
The first thing that should be glaring at the client is a popular certification. In this case, certifications from The National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) would be the perfect solution. The certification program verifies the service provider’s processes and procedures and is further backed by rigorous security protocols. They will see to it that all IT disposals go through pre-defined steps of computer recycling such that the final garbage is no more than junk. Another certifying authority in this regard would be the Mobile Shredding Association.
ü Their history
It’s incredible how internet can help you in this case. Complaints again IT disposal services seldom go unnoticed and if you get too much of bad feedback, it would be advisable to look for an alternative solution.
ü Years of practice
Before computers and hard drives, it was papers that got shredded. The responsibilities remain the same while only the means and tools have changed. It would be better to go for a service that has more than a decade of experience in this industry and has a credible reputation to back it up. The more the experience, the better would be their policies, the more secure will be their tools and the more trained and responsible will be their workforce.
ü Insurance
The best companies in this business even provide an insurance against any errors and security breach. This doesn’t just ensure that your losses are compensated but also explains why these companies wouldn’t be looking to do something more with your data.
The above four points more or less ensures that you are teaming up with the right kind of secure IT disposal provider. However, to further minimize the risks of any breach, you should engage you own staff in maximum data destruction at the source and initiate the best practices of device usage. Using cloud servers as opposed to magnetic disks and pen drives for storing information would be one of the key advises in this regard. This not only helps you store and access your data securely, but you also save a lot of investment in buying, storing and disposing hardware. Data and information can make or break a business today. Confidentiality should be a top priority for any business.
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