Getting rid of old computers or servers? Did you know that the components used in technology equipment are not landfill-safe? On top of the environmental hazards, unprotected e-waste typically contains a lot of confidential and private information in the form of saved passwords, Internet history and files left on the retired computer or server.
As a first prevention step, find a local recycling facility where e-waste can be safely disposed of. And make sure to take the following #1 security precaution before you haul it off: remove and destroy the hard drives. A drill and hammer usually do the trick just fine. Alternatively, many companies that shred paper documents will also destroy your hard drives.
Don’t forget other e-waste such as mobile phones, copy machines and any other device that ever touched your company data. Give serious thought to what data is on any device before you recycle it.
I'm Robert Patterson with Progressive Computing and I'll be back soon with another IT Security Tip.
