IT Secure Destruction / End-of-Life Considerations

Why Secure Destruction Matters

It all comes down to information security. All data stored on decommissioned electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, PCs, servers, etc., was once valuable information to the user, customer of the user, organization, or other entity. While technological advancements in these devices have made our lives easier and more enjoyable, they have also increased the risk of security breaches during end-of-service-life disposal. The longer decommissioned equipment sits idle on a shelf, in a warehouse, or the corner of a conference room, the greater the risk of a security incident. This should be of great concern to the equipment owner.

Volatile Memory vs. Non-Volatile Memory

Volatile memory temporarily stores data actively being used or running in the background. This information is no longer available once the power has been turned off. This includes RAM (Random Access Memory) and Cache Memory. In contrast, non-volatile memory retains information within the chip/storage components long after turning off the device. Examples of this would be SSDs and flash memory. It is important to know which parts of your IT equipment contain volatile and non-volatile memory and how to destroy the equipment properly. Can you identify volatile and non-volatile components in your PC, laptop, cell phone, server, etc.? As a standard user, we think of RAM, HDDs, and thumb drives as three common storage components, but how many of us think of these components as volatile versus non-volatile? Those are just a few of multiple components capable of storing data within common electronic devices.

Molten Metal Copper Bath / Precious Metal Value Return

The molten metal Copper bath technique is a method of secure destruction that ensures the complete destruction of materials and information contained within those materials. This process involves introducing IT materials into a high-temperature Copper bath, resulting in absolute destruction. This is a common practice with classified and SAP IT materials. The melted materials are poured into ingots, leaving no trace of the original equipment.

Funds

Does your organization have an annual or fiscal budget line item for secure destruction of decommissioned IT equipment, or is it solely focused on purchasing new equipment? It is common for organizations to struggle with funding for secure destruction, but there are ways to offset these costs. For instance, printed circuit boards contain precious metals, and their value can be used to offset destruction costs.