Are You Still Holding Data?

GDPR Regulations You Need to Understand & How Wisetek Can Help

With the recent introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations in May, companies are looking more carefully at the data they hold, how it is handled and most importantly how it is disposed of.

Disposal is frequently overlooked in the rush to ensure compliance with the new data protection regulations but it is crucially important; particularly when it comes to IT hardware equipment.

We spoke to Dennis Frize, UK Managing Director of Wisetek Solutions, the global leader in the secure disposal of IT assets and the recovery of end of life IT equipment. He talked to us about the importance of being able to generate a complete audit trail of your IT data environment from inception to final destruction using a fully trusted certified partner.

Frize explained: “In order to show complete compliance with GDPR you must be able to audit the data trail 100%. Your IT assets for disposal should be collected by a reputable company, preferably with R2 credentials and certified processing facilities, to ensure full confidence in your IT asset disposal. You should be able to trace how this data was erased and/or destroyed and by whom. These records help to guarantee complete accountability for data throughout the entire chain of custody process”.

“Not only is GDPR compliance critical to protect your clients’ information, but failure to do so could actually put your entire company at risk. This means that it is more important than ever to protect yourself from a data breach at every stage of the data management process, especially for the end of life data and IT assets.”

Dermot Hurley, Wisetek’s Senior Global Digital Marketing Manager agreed, stressing the importance of using a reputable certified company to dispose of your old IT equipment. He said: “Sadly there is any number of ‘man-with-a-van’ outfits claiming to remove and appropriately destroy data and equipment when in fact confidential data may still be retrievable.”

Indeed, one study (Blancco / Kroll’s Ontrack Study (2015) ) revealed that residual data was found on 48% of hard drives and solid state drives they purchased and tested from online marketplaces. Residual data was also found on 35% of mobile devices. Ineffective deletion attempts had been made on 75% of the drives and 57% of the phones that contained the residual data.

The Wisetek USP is handling complete risk management for clients of all sizes, including full chain of custody, first-class secure logistics, and 100% guarantee verified data destruction.

According to an IBM & Ponemon Institute Study (2018), the average cost of a single data breach is $3.86 million and $148 for each lost or stolen data record. Therefore, under GDPR it is more important than ever that companies should satisfy themselves with the methods and procedures that the third party employs in taking the responsibility for data destruction on their behalf. After all, the GDPR and WEEE regulations are there to protect individuals and the environment. Having an IT disposal program with a reputable vendor is the best way to protect your company.

For more information about Wisetek’s services please visit: https://wisetek.net/services/data-destruction/