No one ever likes to spend money unnecessarily, and it is great when you find a free or low cost service that will do the job properly. However, IT disposal is not an area in which it pays to cut corners. The financial savings you may make are invalidated by the data security risks you take by choosing free IT disposal over an accredited and reputable company.
In the first part of our two-part series on this important issue, we focus on some of the main data security dangers of free IT disposal.
Non-Thorough Disposal
Thorough IT disposal takes skill and time in order to ensure that any data left on the IT equipment is completely eradicated, which is why it can be an expensive process. This means that any provider offering IT disposal for free, or at a very low cost, is unlikely to spend as much time and effort on the job as a professional provider. In fact, they may not even be qualified to carry out such a job. This means that data from your IT equipment may actually still be traceable, and that you would need to go through the process again anyway – providing you are even aware that the job wasn’t completed thoroughly in the first place.
They May Not Use Professional Tools
A crucial part of disposing of IT data thoroughly is using the appropriate software. Professional data wiping software costs money, which is another reason that IT disposal usually comes at a price. Blancco is one of the best data erasure tools, approved by the NCSC (and used by EOL), which overwrites any existing data files so that they are completely unrecoverable. Without these sorts of tools it is impossible to ensure that data is definitively erased. There are, of course, free versions of these tools, but these are not as robust or reliable as tools like Blancco, and thus may leave your data exposed.
Client Confidentiality Breaches
Data that isn’t disposed of thoroughly could put you at risk of a data breach and, not only does this put confidential information about your business at risk, it puts confidential information about any of your clients at risk, too. Whether any of this leaked data is then used maliciously, or not (against your or your clients), it is still very much a danger and could put your clients’ safety at risk, as well as potentially damaging the reputation of your business.
You May Not Receive A Guarantee
Any reputable IT disposal company will be confident enough to provide you with a legal guarantee that the work they have done is complete, and that you can rest assured that any stored data is safely and securely erased. A free disposal service may not be covered by insurance, meaning they aren’t able to make this commitment to you, and many will not even provide a legally binding guarantee to begin with.
It is important to research any company you might choose as your IT disposal service – even when you are paying them. It is vital that they hold up-to-date certifications to carry out the work. If you are in any doubt, you should not hesitate to ask for proof of qualifications, and remember: if the price seems too competitive, there could be a reason for that!
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.
