There are many issues surrounding data destruction and disposal. On the one hand, organisations need to ensure that information and data kept on paper and other media (such as magnetic disks and tapes) is disposed of responsibly, but they also have to pay close attention to the control of data held on hard disk drives and other IT equipment.
Most importantly, organisations need to be mindful of the need for secure data destruction as IT equipment is replaced or becomes redundant. Most organisations, understandably so, focus strongly on the costs of data destruction, but many other factors are now becoming important. In addition to the need for security, organisations are now looking for data destruction solutions that also meet with:
- best practice;
- legal;
- environmental; and/or
- ethical requirements.
This trend is especially clear in public sector purchasing specifications, where non-cost requirements often account for a high percentage of the final tender evaluation.
The good news is that most organisations have a range of data destruction options to meet different confidential waste needs. Some options are internal, whilst others necessitate the services of an external data destruction specialist. Clearly, the choice rests with organisations, their individual purchasing requirements and their ethics, and they will need to balance the advantages and disadvantages of available options before deciding on the best way forward.
This white paper looks at the regulations surrounding data destruction, and explains what to look for if choosing a company to destroy your data.
To download this white paper, click on the PDF icon at the top right of this page»
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30 Nov 2007 Slightly off track but can ...