How to Avoid a Data Breach?
The average lifespan of a computer is typically between three and five years and is gauged by a variety of factors including environmental conditions, usage patterns and computing needs. However, many business owners try and hold on to their computers as long as they can…even though the computer starts slowing down, making employees less efficient and less productive.
Eventually, you’ll need to dispose of your IT assets. When you decide to decommission an IT asset, preventing data breaches should be a top concern.
By using the following best practices, you can help prevent data breaches and dispose of your IT assets securely.
Find a Partner who can help Prevent Data Breaches
One of the best practices for data breach prevention is working with a trustworthy third party.
This partner should be an expert in secure recycling, disposal, and data destruction. You should always ask about their recycling standards and their certifications.
When you use OceanTech for recycling and data destruction, you are working with a leader in IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), data center decommissioning, and data security. It is vital that we meet or exceed all industry standards and data destruction regulations. We do this by maintaining R2:2013 Responsible Recycling, ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System and ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System certifications.
Use the Right Tools for Data Destruction
Did you know deleting the data on a drive or mobile phone doesn’t necessarily get rid of it? Even if you attempt to wipe a drive, someone could still access sensitive data.
You or your partner must use the correct tools to remove data from your IT assets. This usually means specialized software is required. You’ll also want compliance with data erasure standards like NIST800-88 or BS EN15713:2009.
OceanTech’s data wiping standards guarantee that sensitive data is non-recoverable. We offer several levels of security from data sanitization to physical hard drive destruction.
Train Your Employees
Your employees may be the biggest security threat when it comes to sensitive data. A careless worker may not follow proper procedures or a disgruntled employee might purposefully cause a leak or steal data that leads to a data breach.
From the very start, you should have clear policies about how to handle the data in your business. These policies should answer questions like what data needs to be kept and should define who has clearance to handle the data.
Consider the role your team members play in preventing data breaches. Training is a key step. Educate employees about the importance of data security and make sure they know how to handle and properly dispose of data.
Get Peace of Mind
We know that preventing data breaches is important for any business, but it doesn’t need to be difficult. With the right partner, you can make sure your data is being protected even after the asset is no longer in use.
If you have IT assets to dispose of, get in touch with us today.
