"But
with more regulatory (and environmental) pressures, and data leakage
paranoia at an all-time high, companies are starting to look at
adopting more secure, streamlined disposal practices."
>Read more
|
"The FBI said that 160 laptop computers were lost or stolen in less
than four years, including at least 10 that contained sensitive or
classified information -- one of which held "personal identifying
information on FBI personnel," according to a report released on
February 12, 2007."
>Read more |
"Businesses are increasingly turning to third-party disposal services
to deal with computer systems and peripherals being retired, according
to an IDC study commissioned by Dell. Banks were the most likely to use
IT asset disposal services (63 percent), followed by health care and
government organizations (39 percent)."
>Read more |
"Although IT organizations may feel they have adequate procedures in
place to ensure that all disk data has been adequately destroyed, all
too often this is not the case. A recent computer industry journal
reported that a sample test of PCs resold on one of the largest online
public auctions had a very large percentage (70%) still containing
personal data, corporate, and Web surfing images."
>Read more |
"The definition of "intellectual property" may vary by firm but most
business professionals would agree that items such as trade secrets,
design plans, formulas, manufacturing processes, and business strategic
plans are extremely important assets and therefore must be protected."
>Read more |
"The rise in identity theft and the omnipresence of computers in
business are spawning an industry of information demolition. And
companies are often learning the hard way the importance of eliminating
the data on hard drives before disposing of computers."
>Read more |
"They rummaged through the old machinery and found thousands of
credit-card numbers, financial records, medical information, trade
secrets and other highly personal information."
>Read more |
"Identity thieves are gleaning personal information from scrapped
computers. Peter Warren reports on just how insecure our sensitive data
really is."
>Read more |
"A government contractor hired by the Veterans Administration (VA) to
help process insurance claims announced that a desktop computer
containing information on as many as 38,000 veterans had disappeared
from its home office."
>Read more |
"A laptop computer containing the personal data of 13,000 District of
Columbia workers and retirees has been stolen from the home of an
employee of ING Financial Services, the company said."
>Read more |
"This is ridiculous. It has become very apparent that the average
person seldom is the person from whom his personal information is
actually stolen.”
>Read more |
"Most companies think their data assets are well-managed and secure.
Yet look what's happening. Companies are under attack from a spectrum
of diverse threats, be their Internet hackers, stolen laptops, lost
tapes, or disgruntled employees.”
>Read more |
"Organizations engaging in the common practice of disk drive recycling
- selling unneedeed disk drives directly or through a service - may
find that company data winds up for sale on eBay Inc's auction site,
even if the drives have been wiped first.”
>Read more |
"The problem is widespread. Gartner estimates that through 2009,
consumers and businesses will replace more than 800 millions PCs
worldwide and dispose of an estimated 512 million.”
>Read more |
"Governments, including the European Union, have established
regulations regarding the disposal of hazardous materials as well as
laws related to recycling of computer hardware.”
>Read more |
"But there are other ways to get hold of sensitive company data,
without having to hack into company systems – like buying it on eBay in
the form of used kit sold off by companies."
> Read more |
"Preventing the theft of your own identity is relatively simple, but it
relies on the individual taking steps to protect themselves."
> Read more |
"Highly-sensitive information such as passwords and user names of
company executives has been found on used computer disk drives bought
on eBay."
> Read more |
"In two cases involving multinational companies, enough information was
found that would allow the security of both organisations to be
breached."
> Read more |
"Gartner Research estimates that more than 150 million PCs will be
replaced in 2006. A substantial fraction of these will come from major
corporations and financial institutions. There are two risks associated
with the disposition of these
PCs: Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data and improper
disposal of toxic waste."
> Download PDF |