Steps to Take to Securely Dispose of Old Office Computers

Today there are billions of computers being used all over the country by companies. And nowadays, many businesses have opted for laptops for their teams, especially since a lot of folks are still working remotely. For many businesses, the question of how to safely get rid of old, outdated or unusable computers comes into play. There are many misconceptions about the proper way to discard these items and how to protect your company against hackers who are savvy enough to obtain confidential information off old hard drives—even after you believe you have wiped them clean. Take a look:

Step 1: Back up your data

It may seem obvious, but backing up your old hard drives is a step many people forget when upgrading their company computers or hard drives. Be sure to go through each computer you plan on discarding and move any important files and data to your back up drive or onto the cloud.

Step 2: Delete files and empty the trash bin on your hard drive

After you’ve moved all your important files and data to a secure back up drive or cloud folder, erase any and all files that contain sensitive and personal information. This includes client information, account numbers, vendor information, contact lists, personnel information and any other data that can be used to steal identities.

Step 3: Partner with a reputable shredding and destruction company

Although you’ve wiped the hard drives of your old computers clean, the reality is that there is still information contained within invisible folders that hackers are able to obtain. Even though it may appear that you have deleted everything, it’s critical to have each hard drive permanently destroyed by a professional. This will ensure that there is no chance of your company data being compromised. Your shredding company should provide a certificate of destruction to give you additional peace of mind.

Never recycle or donate old hard drives or devices

While it may feel like a good deed to recycle old computers, tablets or cell phones, it’s something that experts do not recommend. Because even if you know the person or the organization that you donate the items to, you have no idea where your hard drives will end up—and the information that is not visible to you will continue to exist within the device and therefore pose a risk to the security of your company.

All Points Mobile Shredding offers hard drive and device destruction in addition to shredding. We’re a family owned and operated company located in Stuart, Florida and serving South Florida businesses and residents from Okeechobee County to Broward County. Give us a call today or fill out this form to get more information.