End-of-life data security and compliance

As an IT manager, you know the regulations involved in keeping your organization compliant; the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), and those from the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), are just a few. Due to the nature of these regulations and the ever-changing ways outsiders are gaining access to secure information, the risks relating to end-of-life data probably isn’t news to you but using secure physical destruction to neutralize that risk just might be.

Is an IT destruction service helpful or necessary?

At first glance, keeping your IT destruction in-house might seem like an easy option. After all, you’re dealing with highly confidential information, and who would know the risk relating to improperly handled data better than you? However, if you are in charge of ensuring your organization’s compliance, outsourcing your IT destruction needs to a NAID Certified Vendor that is endorsed to handle this type of material has its benefits.

 

• The cost-effectiveness: Do you have room in your budget to purchase and maintain destruction equipment? Keep in mind, some types of data storage devices require specialized equipment such as an industrial shredder and/or pulverizers, these alone could run into the thousands. Then, add in the time and internal personal needed to run the equipment and oversee the process – time that you could be spending on other important tasks. Outsourcing your IT destruction needs to a company, such as Shred Right, that already has both the equipment and trained staff to operate it, provides greater control over your time and budget.

 

• IT destruction services are more secure: With all this talk of destruction regulations, wouldn’t it be easier to just wipe, or degauss used media? Unfortunately, as storage media and data recovery processes are quickly advancing, so does the ongoing debate over the security of these actions alone and why so many companies are turning to the physical destruction of the media itself as the answer. Here at Shred Right, our IT destruction processes ensure all media and the data it holds are destroyed in accordance with NAID standards and practices, based on the appropriate destruction method for material type.

 

• It’s better for the environment: According to the 2015 Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR Study, 72% would voice their opinions directly to a company about CSR [corporate social responsibility] efforts. How does this relate to IT destruction? Proper disposal of your old electronics can have a big impact on the environment. Once the storage devices are securely destroyed we follow our “GreenSmart®” final disposal guidelines. GreenSmart® is a Shred Right program designed to keep shredded material out of area landfills and ensuring the material is recycled or incinerated at a licensed facility.

 

Ready to reduce IT destruction costs while keeping your confidential data out of the wrong hands? Let us know how Shred Right can help to securely destroy your outdated tech and allow you to make room for the next upgrades. Contact us or fill out our form to get a quote today.