Identity theft and fraud: It s on the rise.
Early in 2014 Microsoft confirmed unauthorized access to certain employees' e-mail accounts. This was following targeted phishing attacks against staff members, which also impacted their social media accounts. Documents associated with law enforcement inquiries were stolen, and other information contained in the accounts could be disclosed.
We are a computerized society, this in turn means that more data than ever is stored on computers, servers, and the internet. We trust technology with a frightening amount of information. Most reputable websites are secure, but there is always the danger of stored information getting into the wrong hands and leading to more serious problems. Identity theft and fraud have always been a problem, but are growing at an alarming rate for both businesses and individuals worldwide.
What happens when we just throw away our computers, servers, or data?
As an e-waste and data destruction company, a common concern for our clients is, what will happen to data stored on equipment and storage devices once we collect them.
When a user input details on the internet, the information is often times automatically stored on their computers bank log in details, passwords, addresses etc. For businesses this is an even bigger concern, as they input other people s private information as a part of daily business. It is very common for people to shred bank statements and utility bills before throwing them out with the trash, but how many people and businesses think of data destruction before or during disposal or recycling?
Hopefully you wouldn't put your bank statement or private company information on the street for trash pickup, so why would you do the same for your data?
Many forms of data destruction exist and can be used to erase data from hard drives. Remember not all methods, other than destruction are 100% reliable. Wiping methods such as formatting or deleting files are absolutely the least effective method, as a data still can still be retrieved. There are fragments of data that are left on the drive. The US Department of Defense in the clearing and sanitizing standard DoD 5220.22-M recommends the approach "Overwrite all addressable locations with a character, its complement, then a random character and verify".
Physical Data Destruction
It is widely believed that physical destruction the most secure methods of data destruction. This depends on the definition of destruction. Some examples of destruction are hitting media with a hammer, or drilling holes. The end result is if the media is not degaussed and broken down into tiny pieces some small components can still hold a substantial amount of memory.
We believe the best and only way to prevent data from getting into the wrong hands is by destroying any data stored on a device via mechanical shredding.
Let s cite the definition of destruction the action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired. This is exactly what we provide both our business and residential customers. By default our process guarantee s that all forms of data storage are degaussed and destroyed. All materials are extracted and separated into the different metals and plastics contained within the item and recycled. Our destruction methods ensure that all data is irretrievable and will not fall into the wrong hands.
Data destruction is not the only benefit of using NCWS.
NCWS certifies that your items were processed and/or destroyed in the manner authorized by the laws governing the disposal of e-waste and/or other applicable laws and regulations. NCWS also releases your or your company of all liability for any items (data, metal, electronics, plastics, etc.) processed by NCWS on your behalf in accordance with our environmental policies and in compliance with all federal, state and local regulations. You or your company will also receive an itemized audit with serial numbers of all items processed. And of course all of our data destruction proposals for service are free! NCWS can process and destroy your hard drives onsite at your location, or at our facilities. Our onsite hard drive shredding shows our "focus matters" approach on providing each of our customers with secure and compliant hard drive destruction services.
Data destruction is a crucial advantage of partnering with NCWS to destroy and recycle your data sources, but there are additional benefits. We ensure that the materials collected are diverted from landfills. Not only are you protecting your information, but helping by not adding to our growing e-waste problem. We believe in preserving the lifespan of valuable materials and preserving our limited and valuable resources.
The important considerations when it comes to hard drives and media storage:
1. (HIPAA) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act can issue fines up to $250,000 and 10 years in prison for each violation of the patient health information privacy rules.
2. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act can impose penalties of up to $100,000 per violation by a financial institution.
3. Loss of private customer data is immeasurable and often catastrophic when you weigh the impact it will have on your business reputation.
HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Learn More >>>>
Gramm/Leach/Bliley Learn More >>>>
Red Flags Rule Learn More >>>>
HIPAA/Hitech Learn More >>>
