Steps Your Organization Can Take to Securely Dispose Electronic Devices

When it comes time for your organization to upgrade its IT equipment, you need to dispose of any equipment that will no longer be in use. The most sustainable decision is to safely recycle your organization’s end-of-life IT assets. Typically, only 38% of computers in North America are recycled when they reach the end of their useful lives. Cell phone recycling is even less common, with just 8% devices being recycled. One of the top reasons that companies hang on to their old IT assets instead of responsibly recycling is a fear of privacy invasion and data theft. There are several ways you can protect your data before you dispose of old or obsolete IT equipment. Backup Your Data The goal of wiping your devices is to completely and permanently delete data. It is therefore very important that before you clear your devices, you ensure that you have backed up any necessary data. There are plenty of options available, including external hard drives and flash drives plus online and cloud options. The best option will vary from business to business, so choose what works best for you and your organization. During the back-up process, double check for any removable storage equipment including USB ports, DVD drives, card readers, etc. that need to be ejected from your device. Delete and Overwrite Clearing the data on your devices is necessary, but simply deleting the data is not enough. Data recovery programs mean that recovering deleted files is relatively easy for would-be hackers. Overwriting important data with other data is a strong defence against data recovery programs. Tools are available to assist you in overwriting the data on your IT assets. Darik’s Boot and Nuke or CCleaner are options that work regardless of the platform your organization uses. These programs work by overwriting the vacant space on your drive with random data so that your original files, folders, and data cannot be recovered. Should you want to take a few steps prior to sending your devices to Greentec for recycling, deleting and overwriting is a great place to start. You Can Trust Greentec to Sanitize Unwanted Devices Devices your organization no longer needs could still be useful. Greentec will ensure your organization’s end-of-life IT assets are safely and effectively recycled in a secure and responsible manner. At Greentec we pride ourselves on our secure data destruction. We adhere to Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Document Act (PIPEDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST SP8000-88 Media Sanitization), National Association for Information Destruction (NAID Certification) and SERI R2:2013 Standard Certified for end-of-life electronics recycling. We offer a secure chain-of-custody service, meaning that we track the movement of your IT assets from the moment we pick them up at your company until they arrive at our secure building. You can rest assured knowing that when your devices arrive at Greentec they are securely wiped and sanitized, removing all data so that they are safe to be refurbished or recycled. This not only extends the life of devices and keeps them out of landfills, but the process also recovers valuable materials, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, reduces pollution, saves resources and contributes to the circular economy. Connect with Greentec on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date on Greentec and recycling news.