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Data Security and Privacy
Privacy at Risk: Protect your Outgoing Data
Information technology professionals are clearly taking the problems of data privacy and identity theft more seriously. While most companies have focused on preventing perpetrators from breaking in to their organizations, there has been comparatively little attention focused on protecting information that leaves the organization through retired information technology assets. Disposing of these assets in an uncontrolled manner places companies at risk of inadvertently disclosing sensitive information and/or violating federal privacy laws.
Organizations that do not fully understand the data security and legal risks may seek "easy" or "quick" solutions to their asset retirement needs. This can put your company at greater risk if you rely on organizations that do not possess proper expertise in data security. To learn more about how to protect your company's sensitive data, read the article: Privacy at Risk: Protect your Outgoing Data
Case Study:
Echostar Communications
Echostar has over 20,000 employees nationwide and provides TV satellite services to approximately 11 million subscribers across the U.S. To support its customers, the company employs leading-edge technology in a nationally-distributed network of service and call centers. Frequent technology and application updates in these widespread locations created complex logistical and asset management challenges. In response, LifeSpan designed an asset retirement program customized for Echostar's unique needs. The program:
- Allowed Echostar to recover value from desktop and data-center equipment
that still had remaining useful life
- Reduced logistics costs by shipping retired assets shorter distances
- Enabled the company to track the serial numbers of all disposed equipment
- Mitigated data security and environmental risks with a one-stop technology
retirement solution.
Straight Talk:
On October 24, 2005, the Basel Action Network (BAN) released the most recent installment of its on-going report on foreign dumping of electronic waste. Although Asia has historically received most of BAN's scrutiny, this issue focused on the export of e-waste to Nigeria. The report identified equipment in Nigerian landfills bearing asset tags from U.S. state and federal agencies, educational institutions, utilities, and commercial enterprises. In addition to assessing the environmental impact of foreign dumping, BAN highlighted the lax safeguards that many organizations have in place for protecting the security of data on their hard drives. Particularly alarming is the complete absence of data destruction practices by sham recyclers and used computer brokers. This exposé demonstrates the importance of managing IT asset retirement in a secure and environmentally-compliant manner. What safeguards does your company have in place to avoid this fate? www.ban.org
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IT/MIS professionals - Reduce your effort and costs in managing asset retirement programs |
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Investment recovery managers - Minimize your total cost of ownership |
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Purchasing managers - Cost-effectively remove old equipment so that new equipment can be deployed |
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Compliance officers - Reduce risk and potential liability by securing sensitive data and disposing of equipment in an environmentally-safe manner |
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Large Distributed Enterprises |
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Systems Integrators |
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Technology OEM’s |
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Municipalities |
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Not-For-Profit Organizations |
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