Secure data destruction is an essential element of any business that deals with client or customer data, proprietary data and intellectual property, data that requires some level of security clearance, or data that involves national security or the public’s well being.
For many businesses, proper data destruction is a matter of reputation. Companies that experience data leaks as a result of poor data destruction processes can expect to receive negative press as well as a loss of trust from customers and clients. This can lead to a loss of business and lasting impact on their reputation. Meanwhile, proper data destruction can help assure clients and customers their information is in safe hands when they work with a specific business.
Data security is also a matter of legal and regulatory compliance. Most businesses must adhere to laws that require the adequate destruction or security of data, as do privacy policies designed to protect both businesses and consumers.
The Importance of Proper Data Destruction
What happens when companies skip the careful and deliberate process of data destruction? To keep your data safe and protect confidential information, please utilize these expert tips:
First, there is the direct risk of leaked data. It could be intellectual property, which competitors can use to get a leg up on the competition. It could also be secure customer data, a leak of which could lead to severe loss of trust from your customers and clients.
Even more serious, companies that fail to securely destroy data could find themselves on the wrong side of compliance with regulations and data protection laws. This can lead to fines and other serious issues, which all add up to serious added costs for a business.
The bottom line— it’s much less costly to invest in proper and secure data destruction than it is to risk ineffectively destroying data and having to deal with the ramifications.
Choosing the Right Secure Data Destruction Company
To guarantee that your data is properly destroyed, your best bet is to enlist the data destruction services of an experienced and trusted secure data destruction company.
Improper selection of vendors and ignoring reliable and certified data destruction can turn out to be disastrous, as was in the case of Morgan Stanley Bank, which was fined $60m for the lapse. A statement made by the United States Department of Treasury’s Office of the Controller of the Currency on data breach by US banking giant in 2020 sums up why secure data destruction is crucial:
“Among other things, the Morgan Stanley bank failed to effectively assess or address risks associated with decommissioning its hardware; failed to adequately assess the risk of exercising adequate due diligence in selecting a vendor and monitoring its performance.”
OceanTech is a leader in ITAD, data center decommissioning and data destruction services. It is vital that we meet or exceed all industry standards and regulations. We do this by maintaining R2:20123 Responsible Recycling, ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System and IS 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System certifications. Our data sanitization methods guarantee that sensitive data is non-recoverable. We destroy data in compliance with the following laws and regulations:
- PCI (Payment Card Industry Security Standards)
- Sarbanes-Oxley Ace
- GLB (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)
- BSA (Bank Secrecy Act)
- Patriot Act
- Identity Theft & Assumption Deterrence Act
- FDA Security Regulations (21 C.F.R., part 11)
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
OceanTech’s Destruction on Demand (DoD) service is the industry’s most versatile nationwide onsite data destruction solution. Our data destruction team is made up of veteran experts that have a combined 30+ years in data destruction and data security experience.
Let our experts provide you with a free consultation on how OceanTech DoD services can meet your organization’s data destruction needs and possibly save you millions of dollars
