When the time comes to upgrade your IT equipment, or to relocate to new business premises, one of the biggest challenges you face is finding an ITAD partner you can trust. Your ITAD vendor will be responsible for the collection, auditing and recycling or destruction of sensitive data bearing assets, the mishandling of which could result in serious financial and reputational repercussions for your company.
How do you know which potential ITAD partners to trust, and which to avoid? Industry accreditations and certifications are a great way of evaluating the experience and competency of an ITAD vendor, and can help you to avoid unlicensed operators who could place your data, and your company, at risk.
ITAD Accreditations and Regulations
Before entrusting an ITAD vendor with your data, you need to ensure that they are qualified to undertake such sensitive, specialist work. Industry accreditations and adherence to relevant standards and regulations are an important indicator as to the reliability of a potential partner. Some of the accreditations and regulations you should ask your ITAD about include:
ISO 27001: Security Management System
The ISO 27001 certification is an international standard that recognises that the holder follows “information security best practice, and provides an independent, expert verification that information security is managed in line with international best practice and business objectives”.
BS EN 15713: Secure Destruction Of Confidential Material
The BS EN 15713 standard provides a framework of key conditions to be adhered to by companies who destroy confidential information on behalf of their customers; the security of this information being integral to this.
CAS(S)
CAS(S) is an NCSC government certification, confirming that the bearer is capable of offering the highest level of secure data sanitisation of data sanitisation, graded as level ‘secret’ by the UK Government.
NAID-Europe Membership
Developed by information security professionals, the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), is an international association of companies united to promote the highest standards in the disposal of sensitive data and information. NAID membership and certification verifies that the highest standards of security are in place at all stages of the data destruction process.
ADISA Certification
The Asset Disposal and Information Security Alliance (ADISA), a group of experts in the areas of risk management, compliance and data protection within the IT asset disposal industry, have developed a security standard for ITAD companies which focuses on how data is managed and protected throughout the disposal process. ADISA accreditation ensures that your ITAD partner follows all data security best practices when they are handling and disposing of sensitive data.
CPNI Standard
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) provides advice on physical security, personnel security and cyber security in the private and public sector. The CPNI set the standard for secure onsite destruction of sensitive data in a number of industries, including ITAD.
WEEE Directive
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive aims to ensure that the hazardous materials in electrical equipment are handled responsibly when recycled, and to reduce the impact of such equipment on the environment when it is disposed of.
Waste Carriers Licence
Any business engaged in transporting, buying, selling or disposing of waste is legally obliged to hold a Waste Carriers Licence, issued by the Environment Agency. Without a Waste Carriers Licence an ITAD company is unable to legally dispose of your IT assets.
The UK’s most Accredited ITAD Provider
When it comes to handling and disposing of sensitive data bearing assets, trust and reliability is priceless. That’s why EOL IT Services are proud to be the UK’s most accredited ITAD provider. Having operated in the ITAD industry for over 22 years, we possess the skills, accreditations and experience to handle our clients’ data with the care they deserve, and to dispose of it responsibility and legally.
Our commitment to the highest standards of data security and a truly secure chain of custody ensures that our accreditations go above and beyond the standard set elsewhere in the ITAD industry. As such, we are trusted by many leading organisations operating in industries such as banking, law, financial services, healthcare, education and the public sector.
tier1’s commitment to the security and integrity of our clients’ data is absolute, and is ensured by our team of highly trained staff, each of which are DBS checked (Disclosure and Barring Service), police vetted and credit checked in line with BS 7858 standard.
With over 25 years industry experience, tier1 are proud to be the UK’s most accredited ITAD supplier. We possess the skills, accreditations and experience to handle our clients’ data with the care they deserve, and to dispose of it responsibility and legally.
Contact us today on 0161 777 1000 or visit https://www.tier1.com to find out how we can help you dispose of your data safely and reliably.
