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Your Electronic Waste is A Criminals Treasure

Proper handling of protected information is a crucial aspect of any cybersecurity plan. This plan should also address the appropriate disposal of data and data storage when they are no longer needed. Many regulations mandate the proper destruction of both physical and digital data and data storage devices upon retirement. Additionally, these regulations often specify the methods of destruction to be utilized.

Consider it as an annual maintenance task. Set aside some time to organize and clean out your office, including paper documents and digital storage devices. Review and tidy up file shares with older folder structures that have not been used recently. You’ll feel better having done so. Ensure your process aligns with company policy and regulatory requirements.

Avoid disposing of sensitive documents in general trash. Companies should have secure document disposal policies. Use a shredder, or hire a shredding service for large amounts of paper.

The same principle applies to digital data as to physical data. Hard drive shredding or degaussing is an important practice to ensure the protection of data that may be present on equipment being discarded. This prevents data from being retrieved in the future. Shredding destroys the drive completely, while degaussing erases magnetically stored data and allows for the recycling and reuse of the physical drive.

Computers, monitors, and other electronics require special disposal by authorized recycling providers. This process keeps harmful chemicals out of landfills and reuses parts. Computers contain many harmful chemicals and heavy metals. E-waste recycling centers often provide secure data destruction services. Be sure to request this service and obtain a certificate of data destruction, which may involve a small fee.

In 2022, Morgan Stanley was fined $35 million for improper disposal of hard drives containing personal data of 15 million customers. To avoid similar issues, shred your old data. The firm was forced to adopt policies and procedures for safeguarding customer records and information.

I've put together three takeaways and next steps:

1. Maximize Technology Lifecycle
Investing in high-end technology can reduce issues, improve support, and extend lifespan, reducing support costs and productivity loss, and can delay upgrade costs.

2. Not Just Computers
Every network device, including copiers, fax machines, and printers, may store sensitive data. These devices often have hard drives containing copies of all processed documents. Devices acquired used can be scoured for unwiped data. Always properly wipe electronic devices before disposal.

3. Please Recycle
E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams globally. In 2022, 62 million tons were produced, but only 22.3% was recycled properly. Improper recycling can release up to 1000 harmful chemicals into the environment.