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The Importance of Data Sanitization 

Dave Russell • January 10, 2019

The Importance of Data Sanitization

IT Security

The Importance of Data Sanitization

When deciding on an IT Asset Disposition partner, one of the most important things to consider is their policy towards Data Sanitization. Ensuring your data is protected at all times is of the utmost importance, and Data Sanitization is one of the most significant components of its safety when decommissioning old technology.

In this blog, we’re going to explain what Data Sanitization is, why it’s important, and how we handle it at Unistar Technologies.

Read on and find out more.

What is Data Sanitization?

Data Sanitization is the process of purposefully and permanently wiping or terminating any data stored on a technology device. When done correctly, it is an irreversible process. That means that advanced technology will not be able to retrieve any trace of the data on the hardware, ensuring your organization’s privacy at all times.

Sanitization processes can include utilizing software that eradicates data, an external hardware device which connects to the decommissioned device being sanitized and wipes the data, or a mechanism that destroys the device physically, so its data cannot be retrieved. In most instances, an IT Asset Disposition partner will utilize a combination of the three, to maintain your data's security, while ensuring resale value on some of your outdated assets.

Why is Data Sanitization Important?

Data Sanitization is crucial because ultimately it protects sensitive data from leaving your organization. When you partner with an IT Asset Disposition company, part of the benefit of the partnership is the ability to resell your outdated tech to offset any additional costs, like new tech coming in. That means that your used equipment will be going to a buyer—and it's imperative that none of your data goes with it.

Many industries come with heightened regulations as to the proper disposal of their data, including the medical field and government contractors, with specific industry guidelines issued for data disposal. Failing to do so could result in fines, so it's vital that data is safely destroyed, with no trace of it left, when decommissioning any tech.

Data Sanitization is essential because it protects your company's data and mitigates your risk in disposing of unwanted assets because it ensures data compliance and security at all times.

How Does Unistar Technologies Handle Data Sanitization?

When you partner with Unistar Technologies, you’re partnering with a company that has decades’ worth of experience in Data Sanitization. We’re compliant with the Department of Defense (DoD) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and maintain DoD 5220.22 and NIST 800-88 standards throughout all of our projects and procedures. We perform DoD overwrites for all items, specific to their security requirements, and follow the NIST standardization guides when determining the sanitization technique for each asset.

All assets that go through a physical destruction process are recycled and never disposed of in landfills, ensuring multiple steps of safety at any given point in the Data Sanitization process.

At Unistar Technologies, we know that Data Sanitization is a vital component of the IT Asset Disposition process, and we’re happy to answer any questions you might have.

Contact us at info@unistartechnologies.com we’re here to help.

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Could IT Asset Disposition Save Your Company Money?

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What You Need to Know in 2019 for IT Asset Disposition 

By Dave Russell • January 17, 2019
With a new year typically comes new regulations, and we’re here to share everything you need to know about any changes to the rules for IT Asset Disposition in 2019, and what you can expect for the year ahead. The good news is that there hasn’t been sweeping legislation at the federal level that will affect your business and its bottom line, but there are still things to look out for this year and beyond. Read on to find out more. E-Waste Technology advances (and becomes obsolete) at a rapid pace and you may find yourself with excess e-waste in the coming year. E-waste is electronic equipment that is no longer useful. As you upgrade or retire certain machines, they become e-waste. Not only does e-waste take up valuable physical space within your organization, but it can also be a potential security threat. Many e-waste machines have not been thoroughly wiped of all your sensitive data, and disposing of them improperly may open your company up to external risks by accidentally letting your data fall into the wrong hands. Each state and even municipality or county can have their own unique rules towards the disposal of e-waste. Before deciding how to dispose of yours in 2019, make sure you understand the regulations specific to your area, or partner with an IT Asset Disposition company who can dispose of the e-waste for you. Heightened Awareness of Data Protection Last summer, the state legislature in California passed the California Consumer Privacy Act, which extended broad rights to Californians, and which will go live in 2020. Once that happens, expect other states to follow suit. How does this affect you in 2019? We believe it’s better to be safe than sorry, so if you plan to decommission any hardware this year, we strongly recommend you partner with a company that clearly understands data sanitization best practices. The reasoning behind this is that when it comes to safeguarding your organization’s data, both internally and externally, you can never be too cautious. An IT Asset Disposition company that is knowledgeable in the best practices towards Data Sanitization will be able to appropriately decommission any of your tech, completely wipe it clean of all data; and from their either resell, recycle, or destroy the equipment. Ensuring your organization’s security at all times, and possibly recoup some of your financial investment of the tech in the process. The Importance of Going Green Expect heightened attention around going green—as tech hardware rapidly advances, so too does previous iterations of tech become obsolete at an increasing pace. While critical to your business' operations, the impact of outdated tech taking up space in our landfills and recycling centers is undeniable. Rather than find new ways to dispose of e-waste, many companies are investing into better ways to recycle the physical parts into new components. This means that you could expect to recycle more e-waste than you have in the past, with the aim to lessen the impact on the environment and stem the rush of outdated tech ending up in the garbage pile. Partner with an Organization You Can Trust While it is possible to stay abreast of the changes affecting the recycling and replacement of your tech this year, we strongly recommend that you partner with an IT Asset Disposition company you can trust. They can help you strategize the best way to dispose of unneeded or outdated tech, and ensure that not only are you within your local ordinance's compliance, but also minimize the impact on the environment as well. Finally, a partner will be able to help you get the best value on the resale of your equipment. For more information, or to discuss your organization’s IT Asset Disposition needs, contact us at 678-393-3160 or info@unistartechnologies.com.

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By Dave Russell • January 3, 2019
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