Improve Corporate Wellbeing Through Data Security and Sustainable Data Disposal
IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) is now a major commitment towards data security, sustainability, and overall wellbeing within an organization.
Organizations, much like living entities, go through stages of growth and contraction during a business cycle. Year after year of stagnating profits may lead to ‘restructuring’, layoffs, and changes to management and operations, whereas booms may lead to outsourcing, opening new branches, and hiring new employees. Similarly, organizations do not operate in a vacuum but rather within an ecosystem which is pushing for more sustainability.
Much like how wellbeing is (or at least should be) an integral part of our lives contributing to happiness and health, it’s increasingly being adopted by firms as well. Digital wellbeing may involve taking breaks from the monitor or having good practices for online data security, whereas for companies a comprehensive ITAD strategy goes a long way to promoting corporate wellbeing.
Why ITAD Matters
IT assets have been used in the workplace for nearly 50 years, although the technology may have drastically changed or improved. As technology has increasingly gone digital, being stored on hard drives and more data than ever before being stored on company IT assets, the need for professional ITAD has never been greater.
Analytics and data collection now form an integral part of a competitive business and provide many opportunities to improve operations and customer service, but it’s a double-edged sword. More data also means there are more opportunities for savvy thieves to cause costly data breaches.
Furthermore, the vast quantity of IT assets used in our private and professional lives has multiplied drastically. Businesses cycle through hundreds or thousands of hard drives, phones, and magnetic media every year, with the result leading to a growing e-waste crisis worldwide.
Growing Concerns Over Data Security
Even as late as a decade ago, massive data collection and storage mostly were in the domain of large corporations such as financial institutions. Naturally, the risk and cost of a data breach was potentially crippling in the past just as it is today.
Big data is now mainstream, with startups and SMEs increasingly tapping into the potential of data analytics and thereby gathering ever more potentially sensitive data. Data affects all of us and consequently more individuals are becoming concerned with their own privacy as well as how businesses are using their data.
In 2018, the European Union passed into law, addressing the importance of the collection and dissemination of data. Any business operating in the EU and/or using data on EU citizens must abide by the GDPR lest they face fines of up to €10 million or 2% of annual worldwide revenue. This includes businesses operating in the US.
Data Disposal
Whether through obsolescence, old age, or replacement with modern IT assets, all equipment has a lifecycle within your organization. When it comes to data security, many firms emphasize securing devices that are currently in use yet neglect to exercise the same due diligence for redundant IT assets.
One of the easiest and most convenient ways that data can be compromised is through improper data disposal policies. Simply tossing old hard drives without considering the accessibility of the data is a big mistake – one that can be quite costly as well.
IT asset disposition providers specialize in the thorough and secure destruction of IT assets, which gives businesses peace of mind that their data disposal practices will not lead to a data breach. Hard drive disposal via degaussing and shredding ensure that no sensitive data can be retrieved at a later date, and a reputable ITAD company will provide your organization with data destruction certificates which act as proof of destruction.
Secure data disposal with the assistance of an ITAD company is one of the best ways to minimize the chances of data breaches occurring.
Sustainability
Many companies talk sustainability, but an unfortunate few come through with their promises. Consider that e-waste is a growing crisis worldwide, with landfills being polluted by rare earth minerals found in cell phones, hard drives, and other electronic equipment. The urgency to minimize needless e-waste is clear, so a sensible step towards sustainability should always include ITAD services that recycle and reduce e-waste.
Wisetek is a global leader in ITAD services that is committed to reducing e-waste through initiatives such as our zero-landfill policy and our circular economy model, which aims to optimize the disposal of old and redundant IT assets and in doing so benefit the environment.
By minimizing e-waste, equipment can be re-marketed and refurbished, for example, which generates additional value for otherwise completely depreciated assets. In the event that IT assets require secure destruction, all relevant state data disposal laws are adhered to and we also abide by international data disposal standards such as R2, WEEELabex, and eStewards.
Improve Your Corporate Wellbeing
There has never been a better time to incorporate a robust ITAD strategy within your organization, both for data security and for sustainability. The consequences of neglecting ITAD can be crippling to the reputation of your firm as well as extremely costly.
Benefit the corporate wellbeing of your entire organization with professional ITAD services from reputable IT asset disposition providers such as Wisetek. ITAD providers improve the overall health of your business by eliminating a major source of data breaches as well as disposing of your IT assets sustainably and according to data disposal laws.
Get in touch with Wisetek today and learn more about our comprehensive ITAD solutions and our wide range of services that are designed with data security and sustainability in mind.
