When it’s time to upgrade your office computers, you must carefully consider what you are going to do with your existing models. In today’s world of information sharing and technological advancements, you must maintain control of your business data so that it won’t fall into the wrong hands. The need has arisen for complete cleaning and formatting of computers and electronic equipment and reputable companies have stepped up to take command of the procedures that best handle data destruction. A professional company should be hired to assist you in protecting the sensitive information that you have about employees, clients, and your products.
Security Is Paramount
It is important to have a safe and secure method of cleansing and reformatting your computers so that your business information will not be stolen by individuals who can use this information for personal gain. When you do decide to recycle your equipment you should be aware of the restrictions regarding the environment and the damage that computer components can have on nature. The company with which you partner should be ethical in their processes and operate under a mantra of honesty and integrity. You should expect to receive a Certificate of Destruction which is provided for all electronic equipment that has been collected and properly destroyed; this lets you know that everything has been handled in a professional and complete manner. You should include all of your hard drives, memory products, monitors, towers, printers, and laptops for destruction and make a request for recycling to be used when possible for the parts of these devices.
How Destruction Is Achieved
Dependable companies know that degaussing is the only guaranteed method of destroying data so that it cannot be reused or retrieved. Your electronic equipment is put through a powerful magnetic field that makes all data useless; it cannot be reused or recovered. Even if your hard drive doesn’t work, information can be gleaned by professionals who know the proper procedure so those machines should be included in your destruction process. Degaussing is 100% guaranteed to keep anyone from capturing your sensitive data and using it for ill gains. It’s important to ascertain that the company you hire to destroy your computers and electronic devices is working within the current industry safety standards as mandated by local governing agencies. This is one step in a business plan that many companies omit, much to their chagrin later when problems arise and data is compromised.
Avoiding Problems
You have gathered a plethora of sensitive information as it relates to your staff, your client base, and your product development; it’s imperative that you handle this protection of your information in an effective and efficient way. You should refrain from selling your computer equipment to a third party to recoup any funds that you spend for new machines; this will only lead to problems for you and the new owner. Unless you have used degaussing for removing and destroying sensitive information stored on hard drives, the wrong individuals can get your data and use it for their own personal profit. By destroying magnetic media, you are assuring your company of protection for the information that is key to your operations and expansion.
As you upgrade your magnetic media, consider eliciting the assistance of a professional team of experts to assist you with the destruction of your company’s data. It protects you and confidently disposes of the information that is so important to the efficiency of your business.
Guest Post by Suzi
Suzi McKee is a US-based writer covering computer recycling and other quality information management services. She writes on a freelance basis for several large blogs.
To retrieve data from a formatted or damaged hard drive can be done by computer professionals, so the best way to get rid of sensitive data is to shred your hard drive to pieces and bury the pieces on different locations.