Cybersecurity threats may involve hackers and phishing emails. However, one of the most lucrative threats of corporate espionage does not involve the internet but happens right outside the back door in the alleyway.
The threat involves improper IT Asset Disposition (ITAD). When companies upgrade their office technology, the older technology is usually tossed into standard disposal bins. For those involved in corporate espionage or who rummage through dumpsters for usable technology, these dumpsters are like finding a treasure trove of data.
Discarded technology, whether it be computers, smart TVs, printers, or even Internet of Things devices, contains data long after they have been turned off. Hard drives, for instance, can contain thousands of financial documents, personnel records, or intellectual property plans. Also, mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets that have not been wiped of data provide another means of accessing the company’s network. For Waste Disposal Norfolk, visit https://www.mgaze.co.uk
To protect your company’s data, you must expand your cybersecurity measures beyond the digital world to protect against these types of threats:
Implement strict ITAD protocols to ensure no hardware leaves the building without having been wiped or destroyed.
Partner with only certified electronic waste (e-waste) vendors and obtain certificates of destruction for each device disposed of by those vendors.
Audit the areas of your office where technology is cleaned out before being tossed into dumpsters.
While your firewalls may be secure against cyber threats, your data in discarded technology will be vulnerable in the alleyway dumpster.
