Data Protection | Dont’ Let Your Data Fall Into the Wrong Hands

October 1, 2015

data protection

Class-action lawsuits, crippling financial penalties, tarnished reputations and even jail time are some of the repercussions that can stem from information falling into the wrong hands and the lack of data protection.

If you think your organization is immune to a data breach, you’re wrong.

Early next year the movie, Snowden, will be released, detailing the story of Edward Snowden, an American computer professional who leaked classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) to the British daily newspaper, The Guardian, in 2013.

If the NSA can be compromised, that probably means every organization has some type of vulnerability. There are, however, precautions that can be taken.

One particular point of vulnerability for every organization is when they refresh their technology assets. Just because new technology has entered the building, that doesn’t mean that you’re no longer responsible for the data on the technology that is being disposed of.

The best way to ensure that your data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands is to hire a trustworthy, dependable Technology Asset Disposal firm like Maxxum.

Data Protection Made Easy

Demand certified drive sanitization and destruction. Maxxum creates a smart, strategic partnership with each client. We will help your organization build a comprehensive and cost-effective risk-management program. This program eliminates potential data and environmental breaches and offers a secure, documented chain of custody that mitigates liability.

Maxxum utilizes best practices for sanitization of digitally stored information, meeting the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standard, also adopted by the Department of Defense.

Our comprehensive documentation and certification includes:

  • Asset receipt reporting provided by Maxxum’s technology center
  • Certification of data destruction by serial number of the host machine and drives
  • Drive sanitization date and method used

If you need physical destruction of your drives to ensure data protection, Maxxum can help. We offer certified and documented physical destruction that shields you and your company.

Technology breaches are happening to organizations big and small. If you’re not being diligent about where your data ends up, it can fall into the wrong hands. Ensure data protection and turn your used technology over to Maxxum; it will be disposed of properly.

6 Reasons to Properly Dispose of Technology

September 23, 2015

dispose of technology

We’ve said this before, and we’ll keep saying it: just because used technology gets unplugged and leaves your building, that doesn’t mean the data on it dies. While ensuring that your data doesn’t end up in the wrong hands is reason enough to make sure you dispose of technology properly, it’s far from the only reason.

Look around your office. If it’s like most, it probably looks a lot different than it did five years ago. Computers, phones, copiers and just about everything else associated with office work has changed dramatically. And, they’re going to keep changing.

Technology is advancing faster than just about anybody can manage. With everyone constantly upgrading to the latest, “next best thing,” it begs the question, “what’s happening to all of the old stuff?”

There are Several Good Reasons to Dispose of Technology

Here are six reasons to do so, and all of them can affect your company’s bottom line and reputation.

  1. Criminal Penalties

As the world around us continues to demand faster and more complete access to information (better technology), there is now a more robust policing of used technology disposal.

Depending on your industry, the laws that govern how you dispose of technology can fall under one or more of the following: HIPPA (healthcare), EPA (environmental), FDA (pharmaceuticals and medical devices), FCC (broadcast and phone providers), PCI regulations (credit card data), Sarbanes-Oxley (financial services), Gramm-Leach-Bliley (banking) , PII (personally identifiable information) and FACTA (credit reports).

The repercussions of criminal penalties go without saying and can impact each of the remaining reasons we list.

  1. Executive Fines and Incarceration

With information being such a high value commodity in this technological age, punishments are now catching up to the heft of the crime. Companies are now tasked with responsibly disposing of their used technology. Cavalier behavior with information can now lead to huge fines and even jail time depending on the case.

  1. Civil Penalties

Civil penalties are fines imposed by government agencies as restitution for wrongdoing. Check any business page or television news broadcast and it won’t take you long to realize that both State and Federal agencies are recognizing the growing exposure related to information security. Fines can add up quickly and not only damage your company’s bottom line, but your reputation as well. 

  1. Litigation Costs

One of the misconceptions with technology disposal is that all liability for data is transferred once technology exits. Too often that’s not the reality, and it’s the reason many companies are blindsided by cases even when they believed that things had been done correctly. Nobody wants litigation because that can get expensive very quickly.

  1. Diminished Stock Prices

Perception is almost as powerful as reality when it comes to the value of stocks. Any of the above can lead to a negative perception of your company, whether it’s founded or not. If the perception of your company is diminished, your company’s stock will be as well.

  1. Public Relations Fallout

The old adage that any publicity is good publicity doesn’t hold true here. Your company’s reputation is damaged if any of the above events occur. As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily business and private lives, data security is more important than it’s ever been. Understand your responsibility and ensure that old technology is disposed of properly. Your reputation depends on it.

Avoid Data Privacy Breaches with End-to-End Disposal Services

March 4, 2014

Experience the difference of end-to-end asset disposal services.

Nearly 90 percent of companies do not have a data destruction plan in place or understand how to destroy their data securely, according to a new study released by AERC Recycling Solutions. Here are examples of companies and organizations that failed to select the proper IT Asset Disposal vendor and or elected to dispose of important assets using their own employees without following the proper practices and procedures.

For anyone who doubts the extensiveness of how often data privacy breaches occur, or the dangerous exposure such breaches create, there are several up-to-date resources available to research organizations that have exposed their clientele and/or employee base as a result of unnecessary data privacy breaches.
Maxxum recommends:

National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) News Room – This resource lists recent data breaches, as well as webinars and other resources available for staying current with regulatory news and changes. More.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse – An extremely comprehensive site that includes not only a chronological timeline of data privacy breaches, but also links to other sites with breach information.
More.

Department of Health and Human Services – The DHHS publishes a list of all organizations that have experienced a HIPAA breach. More

At Maxxum, we’re committed to smart, strategic partnership with our clients. We stay up-to-date on laws and regulations regarding data privacy and environmental responsibility. We develop and support industry best practices in compliance, remarketing, recycling and reporting.