The Aftermath of a Data Breach: Why Secure Hard Drive Disposal Matters
September 12, 2023
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Everyone stores data on digital storage devices, from prominent organisations and businesses to students and workers; the dependence on technology has significantly increased over the years. Data is much easier to store and use across different platforms if in digital format, but its secure disposal can be a complicated process.
Thus, to ensure that your private information is safely erased, destroyed and disposed of, you must practice proper asset disposal procedures or hire a reliable data destruction (disposal expert) service to do the job properly.
If you try to destroy data with methods like drilling, overwriting, or melting with chemicals, it can be dangerous and/or ineffective. Various data recovery techniques can retract information from partially damaged media storage devices.
Devices such as hard drives have outer protective layers composed of sturdy materials that protect the disk drive (the more easily destroyed part, that actually has the data written on it), responsible for storing information. Even if the body of a hard disk is destroyed, it would be ineffective if the disk holding the data stays intact. There’s also plenty of software available that can recover information from discarded media storage devices.
If your data gets into the wrong hands, it could be leaked to the public or misused to defraud or literally steal your wealth (most of the money in the world is actually held in account by digital means and can be syphoned out digitally if the path is open!).
Any easy access to personal or company data can cause harm to you or your organisation. If an organisation’s reputation is damaged, it could lead to significant loss and affect many lives.
Various destruction services available on the market today provide secure and safe disposal for any type of storage device, including paper and hard drives. The right one for your company should follow the strict protocols set by the Government and any industry specific and company guidelines to ensure the effective destruction of your information.
It would be best to trust a reliable data disposal and asset disposal service to destroy your data completely, making sure that all aspects of your data storage and devices are kept and destroyed safely. A worthwhile destruction service ensures that your property (any type of data holding asset) is safely transported and eradicated in a secure environment following the required procedures (in Australia the minimum standards are set by PSPF and ISM). Reputable companies will give you a certificate of destruction after they have finished their job.
Since the e-waste generated after destruction of devices can harm the environment, data destruction companies should ensure that your e-waste is recycled and eco-friendly disposal methods are followed. Secure Hard Drive Destruction Melbourne is one of Australia’s most trusted asset disposal companies including safe and secure recycling and waste management after destruction.
To find a reputable and trustworthy asset disposal service, you must ensure that the agency is NAID AAA PSPF certified and can guide you through the steps you need to take to abide by the law and certify with a certificate of disposal how they have complied with the PSPF and the ISM guidelines. The National Association for Information Destruction sets industry standards for the effective destruction and disposal of confidential documents. Therefore, a certified company is an ideal choice for entrusting the important information that you need destroyed – kept safely in the process.
This type of ideal destruction service and company should offer various measures for ensuring the safety of your data. Aspects within the disposal process including destruction are things like transport, storage, disassembly, degaussing, shredding, recycling and waste management etc. The processes, technology and devices used by the service provider should be up to date, provide assurances of destruction and prove how effective the data eradication procedure is.
When it comes to our customers, we provide a viewing of the destruction process and also certificates to assure what we say has been done is done and is documented according to the PSPF and ISM guidelines… hence Secure Hard Drive Destruction (SHDD) is NAID AAA PSPF certified!
Many companies also have both on-site and off-site destruction options. The on-site service will include the destruction process to be done on-site wherever the client has requested the company to perform it; however, for on-site destruction of hard drives or storage devices this is typically only performed at large industrial sites where the volume of products warrants setting up on-site. SHDD does provide this on-site service, bringing all the necessary equipment in a certified mobile destruction unit which we’ve named the ODS-1, an Onsite Disposal System. This is the first part of a two part system which can be expanded to make destruction of larger items other than just computer mother boards and hard drives. Reach out to have a discussion if your business needs a huge amount of items destroyed at one time and you’d rather have them destroyed at your premises.
The off-site services include collecting the assets, media and/or documents (information-carrying things) and transporting them to a secure storage facility to be destroyed at a given time at the secure location.
As noted previously, professional data disposal and destruction service providers must produce a document certifying that the destruction process has been carried out properly; as proof that the data has been eradicated according to the correct guidelines for your needs.
Industry standards including PSPF and the ISM are the appropriate measuring sticks; also one of the essential points is to check whether they follow eco-friendly waste disposal methods or not.
It is necessary to be environmentally aware while handling e-waste as it can be harmful and toxic to nature (the environment around you/your company).
Secure Hard Drive Destruction offers various fixed asset disposal services that ensure your company data and private information is securely destroyed while following strict government protocols. We are NAID AAA PSPF certified and also hold Australian Community membership which allows us to perform ITAR-controlled asset disposal services.
Let us help you think through your next disposal project and plan it with the experts in highly classified disposals, Secure Hard Drive Destruction.
