DATA DESTRUCTION
Appetite for destruction With businesses producing more data than ever before, the need for it to be destroyed effectively and securely has never been more important – and legislation means it must be taken seriously. This means there are opportunities for resellers in this market.
Data is being produced in ever increasing quantities by businesses, as technology evolves to enable them to drill down into sales and product data like never before. This means that it has to be stored securely, but also disposed of securely when it is deemed no longer of worth to the business. Breaches of data security are regularly in the headlines, and can cause severe damage to a business, both financial and reputational. The costs of a data breach rose by 13% from 2020 to 2022, with the global average cost being about $4.35 million, according to data from IBM. Additionally, in 2021, researchers at the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo found that one-third of online equipment resellers had erased data using insecure methods or not erased it at all – so a gap for the service exists in addition to the need. There are also the legal considerations, such as GDPR, as Lawrence Maidment, head of data media services at Titan Data Solutions, notes: “The implications of an infringement of breaching DPA 2018 (GDPR) are costly and apart from the lasting damage to corporate reputation, the financial impact could be devastating.” Lawrence adds that while most large organisations are acutely aware of the
risks posed by the disposal of data bearing IT assets and have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that they are protected from the risk of a data breach, tape media often seems to sometimes be treated as an afterthought and the fact that it can hold huge amount of data can be overlooked. “I have seen numerous incidents of used tapes being sold by brokers, non-specialised disposal companies and even non accredited ITAD’s over the years,” he says. “We have also seen many examples where used cartridges have been cleaned up and repackaged for sale as new and still have the original users’ data on the tape. “It is vital that any company disposing of tape works with a proven partner who fully understands the product and can be trusted to use approved equipment and processes for the job. “There are various secure ways available to dispose of data on tape and Titan is well placed to help advise and provide the appropriate methods, services and equipment for any requirement.” Methods of destruction There are various methods of destroying data, as Richard Miller, managing director of Addition International, explains. “Secure destruction falls predominately into three main
Richard Miller managing director Addition International
additionint.com
titandatasolutions.com
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