Five Industries that Need Professional Data Destruction Services
Data destruction is needed in every industry, but which industries need the most secure and professional data destruction for their IT assets?
There has never been a greater need for professional data destruction services than right now. Cyberattacks are on the rise, and they’re happening more frequently and costing more financially than ever before.
Just about every organization stands to benefit from secure data destruction, but some need it more urgently than others on account of the potential risks they face.
The Importance of Secure Data Destruction for Organisations
Unauthorized access to sensitive data needn’t require hacking skills; a carelessly discarded hard drive can grant an individual with sensitive data such as passwords or network credentials that can be used in a malicious manner. For this reason, all redundant IT assets from an organization must be securely disposed of, with no sensitive data left behind for cybercriminals to get their hands on.
The way this is done can vary quite a bit depending on the size of the business and the industry in which it operates. A neighborhood bakery, for example, might have a POS terminal and the owner’s laptop that doubles as a work laptop. A simple wipe and reformatting of their laptop’s hard drive might suffice. For medium to large-sized enterprises, however, more robust and secure methods are required.
In large corporations with multinational operations, the massive amounts of data and the sensitive nature of that data means that more scrutiny and higher security is required when it comes to handling the constant flow of redundant IT assets and their disposal.
1 . Finance & Banking
Banks operate on trust, so any dent in their armor will have a deeply negative impact on their reputation. Since banks must abide by Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) practices, they must gather quite a bit of personal and private information on their customers.
Financial lenders of all sorts must take extra precautions for secure Data Destruction, ensuring that all sensitive data is thoroughly destroyed whenever an old IT asset is cycled out of the firm’s inventory.
2. Manufacturing & Industrial
Manufacturing plants and industrial operations have sensitive information and data that must be protected from the risk of a data breach. Some examples of data and files that could be accessed and compromised include just-in-time (JIT) logistics information, specific product components or ingredients protected by trade secrecy or patent law, competitive advantages of a firm, and personal information on suppliers.
Modern industrial facilities have largely digitized over the past few decades, meaning that more and more sensitive data pertaining to their operations are now held on hard drives and servers which can be accessed by a cybercriminal. Ensure that your operation uses Hard Drive Disposal to destroy all sensitive data securely.
3. Petroleum & Energy
The energy sector is important for keeping the lights on in our homes and businesses, as well as for keeping our vehicles running. What some firms in the energy sector have had to learn (the hard way, unfortunately) is that their massive infrastructure and importance on the economy can be quite dependent on fragile IT.
This was made evident in the US with the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021, which caused severe disruption, especially in the South East, over a six-day period. It even prompted the declaration of a state of emergency by the president himself.
An ITAD Company such as Wisetek can help firms operating in the energy and petroleum sectors keep their infrastructure secure with hard drive disposal, data center decommissioning, and other Data Center Services that eliminate a major source of potential data breaches.
4. Retail & Commerce
Modern retailers are highly dependent on their IT systems for everything from POS, collecting customer information, processing credit card details, and preparing sales and campaigns. All of this information cannot fall into the wrong hands, as it could cost the retailer financially, damage their reputation, and to lose their competitive advantage.
With e-Commerce, the risk is perhaps even greater since everything takes place online and a single data breach can expose all sensitive data such as customer names, addresses, credit card details, and more. It’s therefore essential that retailers and commerce platforms use IT Asset Disposition to dispose of redundant IT assets.
5. Government & Institutional
Public sector agencies have a duty to maintain the trust of citizens and taxpayers when it comes to their personally identifiable information. Government agencies gather and collect data on individuals that cannot and should not fall into the wrong hands, particularly since there is no market competitor for government services such as the DMV or the police.
The 3-letter agencies must exercise particular caution when it comes to handling (or mishandling) sensitive data, as shown in the ‘fake’ FBI email hack in 2021. The cyberattack sent misleading emails using the FBI’s email system, which – whether effective or not – shows one flaw of many in the FBI and their ability to retain their own IT infrastructure.
Which Industries Benefit from Secure Data Destruction?
The above five industries and sectors all benefit from secure data destruction, but the bottom line is that just about every organization stands to benefit. Even on an individual level, we should be wiping our phones and hard drives if we plan to sell or recycle them since we don’t want anyone else snooping through our contacts or social media profiles.
Businesses across all sectors can benefit, and many were not listed above yet are nonetheless in need of secure data destruction. For example, law firms handle sensitive information such as case details and client information that could alter the proceedings if the other party or the public were to hear of them.
Although it’s important to choose an ITAD company to help with the important task of disposal, not all ITAD companies are alike. A reputable ITAD company goes far beyond data destruction, although they must perform this and it must be done in accordance with the highest industry standards. They must also actively seek ways to maximize their clients’ ROI on IT assets, reduce e-waste through recycling and refurbishment, and maintain accountability and trust through every process.
Wisetek is a leading pioneer of the Circular Economy model in ITAD which, through our Zero-Landfill Policy, diverts e-waste from landfills and instead seeks to refurbish and remarket assets whenever possible. Remarketed IT assets can be purchased on the Wisetek Market.
Secure ITAD from Wisetek
Global businesses need global solutions. Wisetek is a global leader in ITAD, providing services such as Data Center Decommissioning, data destruction and other IT Solutions.
For more information, please contact enquiries@wisetekusa.com or visit our website.
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How Global Organizations Can Maintain and Extend The Life Of Their Tech Equipment
The Benefits of Buying Refurbished Electronics For Your Business
The Benefits of Integrating IT Asset Management Systems with an ITAD Vendors System
