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HOW NOT TO MAKE IT ASSET DISPOSAL A COMPANY WIDE HEADACHE!

In many cases the IT Director delegates responsibility for IT asset decommissioning to the IT manager who in turn passes the responsibility to the Service Desk Manager who gives the role to a junior IT Technician with the brief “get 3 quotes, make sure we get certificates for data destruction”.

The quotes come in, the requested criteria are met and the requirement is signed off.

And then......................

“Hello Mr IT Director, I bought a PC off Ebay and it appears to belong to you because…..”

An estimated 95% of the companies offering IT recycling in the UK are not acting correctly so how can you be sure that your choice of ITAD will not come back to haunt you?

Data Managed Disposals pride ourselves on providing a consultative and secure service. Each client has different requirements and we tailor the service to fit your individual Information Governance policy. With endorsements from clients in a wide range of security conscious sectors, you can have peace of mind that you are speaking with professionals who understand how to retire your IT assets.

For more information please contact our Customer Service Team on 01376 519149 or email enquiries@datamanageddisposals.co.uk

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Working safely with us. 8th June 2020

This has been an extremely difficult time for everyone and our love goes out to those who have lost loved ones during this pandemic. We have remained closed during the lockdown but with restrictions being eased we are reopening with appropriate changes to how we attend your business premises and interact with your staff.

Prior to any services being undertaken we will email a clear process including the precautions we will take and expect from you and your staff. In most cases this will be using common sense and following current government guidelines. It is important that everyone understands the process prior to our arrival as the last thing we want is to cause any of your staff to feel uncomfortable or upset. We recognise that the virus remains with us and are remaining alert.

It is equally important to advise us if there are specific PPE requirements that we must adhere to in order to be permitted to attend your premises. Our staff are well prepared and protected but particularly when visiting schools and hospitals, there may be additional measures in place which we need to be advised of.

Should we be likely to be onsite for an extended period of time, a clear process will be agreed before commencing services.

It has been an incredibly troubling and difficult time for us all, a period in our history that is likely to alter how we work and socialise for the foreseeable future. Our intention is to adopt a common sense approach and help us all get back to some sort of normalilty as quickly as possible.

Keep safe.

Lost, missing and disappeared hard drives

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/22/hard-drive-with-personal-info-on-34-million-bc-yukon-students-lost - Hard drive with personal info on 3.4 million B.C., Yukon students lost

Not a unique story, certainly not the first time this has happened within an organisation and sadly it will not be the last. What is always interesting, or concerning, are the phrases used to describe the data breach: Lost, disappeared, unable to locate...the terms used to describe the missing data. How about we call it exactly what it is - Negligent!

Sadly, in many organisations, once an IT asset is no longer actively deployed as part of the network, it is no longer managed, yet this device is likely to now be as vulnerable to a data breach as it was during any of its life plugged into your network and the world wide web. Possibly, probably even, this hard drive was removed from the server and placed into storage and the server it was housed in has long been destroyed.

So the intelligent component has been removed and made into a pocket sized potential data breach (hard drive) while the larger collection of metals, PCBs and wires has been securely ticked off the register and recycled.

Management of end of life IT assets is a discipline which requires a clear process which must be adhered to. This is what Data Managed Disposals do, more than clear your IT waste we actually manage your retired assets and provide a comprehensive audit of all devices and hard drives. Surely you would rather check an asset report to identify the location of a hard drive than wade through cupboards and stock rooms.

Getting Value Back For Your Old IT Assets

Every IT Manager wants to get the best deal when buying anti-virus software, firewalls or even just replacement mice and keyboards. IT recycling is no different and a recycling company offering a free service obviously is going to appeal.

Here is a little industry secret – FREE IT ASSET RECYCLING IS A MYTH!!!!!

Companies who offer free IT recycling are not run by helpful elves doing the job for the love of the environment, they are run by business owners with overheads to cover. So who pays for these services? Well technically you do, the value in your old IT assets covers the costs or at least it can do if you manage the process well. There may even be sufficient value in your old computers that you will be paid by the recycler for taking these items away.

So how can you ensure you get the best possible value for your redundant IT assets? Here are 5 examples of what you can do to get the best value.

1. Store your decommissioned computers in a secure, dry storage area. It sounds obvious but if you store 50 PCs with residual value of £3000 then why not make sure they don’t get rained on.

2. Don’t remove the RAM. Of course, if you have to take components out of one machine to fix another then that is one thing but taking RAM out just in case you use it in the future renders the PC incomplete and devalues the asset.

3. Provide the relevant power supplies with the items. Your laptop, TFT monitor, even small form factor PCs may all have an external power supply and is an integral part of the value of the asset.

4. Don’t dispose of your old items too often or too rarely. Obviously the longer your old computers are held in your IT storage area the more they will depreciate but bear in mind that there are fixed costs such as fuel which are the same whether your recycler collects 10 items or 100.

5. Build a relationship with an IT recycler you trust. Shopping around each time can be counterproductive. If a recycler quotes a few times before winning a consignment then there is a risk they will try and maximise the profit by devaluing your assets for the most trivial of faults. After all you are not loyal to them so who knows when you will work together again? A strong relationship with one reputable ITAD will help as your account manager will work with you to try and ensure you get the best possible return for your old computers, laptops, mobile phones etc.

If you would like advice regarding any aspect of your IT disposal process call our team on 01376 519149 or email enquiries@datamanageddisposals.co.uk

Who Am I?

Those of you who already know me, and follow me online, will know how seriously I take data security and how closely I follow the news in order to keep myself and clients advised of recent news and the latest legislation. While I intend to continue to do this, I wanted to share a little more of myself in my new venture. I have no doubt that there will be difficult times ahead and periods of doubt, I thought it might be nice (or therapeutic for me) to share my experiences and journey in my new venture, wherever that may lead.

This is not intended to be self-indulgent, self-praising or an excuse to bang the drum. Business, especially where data is being managed, has to be built on trust and sharing my decisions, failures and successes seems a pretty good way to build this.

Hopefully the following weeks, months and years will see me sharing numerous success stories but of course, business and life are not that easy. I look forward to hearing from business owners from all sectors who have been in the same scary position I am in today. There will be invaluable support and advice which I will gratefully absorb and hopefully one day be in a position to offer this on to other business owners.

For now, wish me luck....I am realistic enough to know I will need it!