The Price of Data Protection
Every year, data breaches cost organizations millions of dollars. According to the Ponemon Institute, the average data breach costs $3.86 million and can last up to 200 days, resulting in a significant loss of revenue and productivity. Data breaches may destroy client trust and push even the most successful companies into a difficult-to-recover downward spiral.
Hackers are thought to target only government entities and large enterprises, according to popular belief. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the case. Small and midsize businesses are frequently targeted by hackers because they know that many small organizations make shortcuts when it comes to security.
Many small firms operate on a shoestring budget, so they don’t invest in network security, employee training, or properly disposing of unwanted IT assets.
Of course, data breaches aren’t merely a financial problem. International, national, and municipal rules can all impose severe penalties on anyone who fails to secure personal information. These regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), affect not only enterprises in the regulated regions, but also anyone who conducts business with them. If you fail to comply with data privacy standards, you could face harsh consequences.
Data Security and ITAD
Your old gear still has data on it, and it’s extremely probable that it contains sensitive information about your staff and customers. If you dispose of obsolete equipment without first erasing the data on it, you risk exposing personal information to hackers or identity thieves.
Fortunately, IT asset disposition companies follow best practices for rigorous data sanitization, ensuring that none of your personal information is exposed. As a result, your customers can have faith in your abilities to protect their personal information. Of course, this implies that your company will be safe from anyone who might try to steal data from your old devices, and you will not be accountable for any penalties incurred as a result of a data breach.
IT asset recovery is a related service provided by ITAD experts. IT asset recovery can help you get the most value out of your retired or obsolete computing hardware while ensuring that no data is lost.
Endpoint Devices and ITAD
When you think of data security, you probably think of a data center, but staff cell phones and other devices are also at risk of data breaches at the point of disposal. As bring your own device (BYOD) grows more widespread, businesses will need to be more watchful in this area.
ITAD providers may recycle almost any type of obsolete hardware, including cell phones, tablets, and laptops. They may also assist your organization in developing a long-term strategy for disposing of and tracking all of the equipment used to run your business. A data sanitization policy should be part of that plan. It should also include a method for determining whether or not a device can be reused and when it should be discarded.
Recycling and reusing
A good ITAD services provider can assist you in developing a strategy for greater sustainability. This necessitates a thorough examination of the possibilities for repurposing any device within your organization. It also entails looking at secondary and tertiary markets for data center equipment that could be repurposed (after being sanitized of data, of course).
In addition, there is a rising push to repair and repurpose equipment whenever possible, which feeds into the sustainable hardware movement and the goal of zero waste. In the end, this is a win-win situation because it saves money for businesses while also lowering the stress on global resources.
An ITAD service provider should be dedicated to being a responsible steward of your — and the world’s — resources.
What to Look for When Choosing an ITAD Firm
There are a few things you should check for when choosing an ITAD supplier.
Certifications are the first item to inquire about. R2, e-Stewards, and NAID are three certifying groups that provide industry-standard best practices for electronics recycling and reuse. Without any of these certifications, an ITAD provider or electronics recycler may offer to pay you for your device as scrap, but they are not providing you with the full safeguards of appropriate ITAD.
Inquire about their data sanitization practices and the various ways they employ to wipe data from media prior to processing for resale or recycling. Inquire about how they keep track of their workflow, manage their vendors, and keep gadgets secure from delivery to disposal.
Ideally, you should seek for an ITAD firm that can also assist you with repair management so that you can get the most out of the equipment you already have. Procurement assistance may be available from the proper company. Some ITAD companies may even assist you with warranty management and provide support if you need to make a return.
In short, a strong ITAD firm will be involved in every stage of your IT equipment’s life cycle, adding value at each step while reducing your environmental effect.
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