Tips for Safe Data Destruction In this blog, some good tips that can significantly reduce the chances of data leakage through your written-off computer.
If you want to write something about it yourself please post a comment.
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At the end of the life of a computer ( or tablet or smartphone ) comes the time when we have to say goodbye to the device.
Usually this is then through recycling – but it may also be that the equipment still has some value and is then bought up by a buyer.
Of course, it is extremely important that the data stored on the devices is thoroughly destroyed.
Carelessness can have major consequences.
I have been destroying digital media since 1995, and in the past few years I have destroyed several million hard disks, so I think I can speak for myself.
- WEEELABEXThisis really the very best tip I have.
If you are having data destroyed by a company, get one that is certified according to weeelabex.
This certification is legally REQUIRED for companies that do digital data destruction but most companies do not comply with it.
The weeelabex is a very difficult and expensive certification and only the very best companies have it.
So you can very simply separate the wheat from the chaff.
Want to know who has weelabex?
Go to https://www.weeelabex.org/operators-list/
- Keep your old data carriers togetherSodon’t leaveold devices, old cell phones and other things that hold data lying around in your business.
Put them under lock and key.
And some data destruction providers offer convenient lockable storage systems for FREE.
For example, a clicker with a lock on it. - Shred for the door or notHere’sa separate blog I wrote about this: https://it-recycling.nl/blog/wanneer-data-vernietigen-op-locatie-en-wanneer-op-locatie/
Destroying on site and under your supervision is always much more expensive than on a take-home basis and then later destroying out of your sight.
But it’s also really much safer.
Want to be sure?
Then spend more money and have on-site destruction.
And be especially well informed about how they plan to destroy at your location, as there are quite a few tinkers at work around the country.
- Don’t save and store forever and it will come laterYoushouldn’t, of course, immediately call in the data destroyer with every phone call or laptop.
But saving things up for years really makes no sense at all.
You’re storing worthless junk, but that’s junk you’ll be responsible for if things go wrong.
We at IT recycling think two to three fours a year clean up is a nice average. - Don’t just sell it to anyone for the highest price You have some appliances that you think will still fetch some money on the used market.
Then of course you can ask left and right what the price is.
I think it is important to compare the different buyers.
Very often they are not even capable of making a decent offer and it is totally unclear how they do the data destruction and what the reporting afterwards will look like.
And if a collector does not have WEEELABEX but does offer a higher price, you can start to wonder about the quality of service.
I think proper data destruction is much more important than the highest buyout price.
- Sense and nonsense about BLANCCO
Many used computer hardware buyers proudly display that they use Blancco datawipe software.
Coincidentally, I know this software very well, as we were Blancco’s very first customer 25 years ago.
Blancco is very good and solid software for wiping hard drives and phones.
But if a buyer uses Blancco, that says nothing at all about its quality and internal organization, and thus about the chances of a data leak at that buyer.
By the way, Blancco now has a number of competitors that work just as well.
Companies that are really serious about data destruction have a hard disk sanitizer.
This is a special device that allows you to wipe hard drives at the very lowest level.
It works better than any wipe software in the world.
Do you have any ideas of your own on how to make data destruction safer?
Then post a comment below!