Old equipment is often handed over to a third party with very little thought to the serious risk that critical and confidential data may be recoverable from the hard drive. It is just as important to protect your data when systems are headed to the recycling plant as it is when they are installed at workstations in your office.
And, finally, you can save money by planning for IT disposal. Upfront planning and outsourcing for e-waste disposal can lower the total cost of technology ownership for most organizations.
Most company executives, especially those with an eye on corporate reputation or those responsible for regulatory compliance, have long understood the financial risk that comes with the disposal of bi-products required for a company to run. A CIO, CTO or IT manager that is actively engaged in creating and fulfilling best practice guidelines for appropriate disposal of e-waste must now join those ranks.
Engaging numerous stakeholders across the entire corporation can be accomplished by ensuring that each department understands the potential risks and costs associated with mismanagement of electronic waste.
Whether it’s finance, legal, marketing, communications, IT or even sales; these independent work groups can help you safeguard company equipment to insure that disposal is handled appropriately, legally and without incident.
Jonathan Zigman is a senior vice president for CSI Leasing, one of the largest independent IT leasing companies in the world.