Even deleted data can come back to haunt your business. Learn about proper IT equipment disposal and data shredding, as well as the benefits of refurbished PCs.

All good things must come to an end.

Our favourite TV shows get cancelled. Glorious summer days turn to Autumn chill. And, as yet, nobody has invented an infinite ice cream sundae machine. (Believe us, we're working on it.)

The same goes for your IT hardware. Mobile phones wear out. Tablets fail. Computers stop being able to keep up with the latest software and security updates. And while we might mourn the loss of good weather and riveting TV, they'll eventually fade into the past and we'll forget all about them. Dead IT hardware, though, is a much more serious matter. Beware, dear reader, because dead hardware can come back to haunt you. (Cue spooky music.)

This isn't some post-Halloween prank. If your zombie hardware falls into the wrong hands, it could doom your business to an early grave. Why? Because while your computers and portables might have gone to the big scrapheap in the sky, the data they contain remains as fresh as a digital daisy. And if nefarious types get hold of this data, it's already too late.

If this happens, expect the worst. Customer and stakeholder data may be compromised. Sensitive information may be leaked. You might even find yourself the victim of blackmail.

Still not scared? These spooky statistics will have you quaking in your boots.

• The threat of a data breach is increasing, with US cases rising more than 195% between 2009 and 2019¹
• The cost of dealing with a data breach averages around £2.8 million²
• On average, it takes businesses 228 days to identify that a data breach has even happened, and 80 days to contain it³
• The COVID-19 pandemic has been fruitful for hackers, with scams increasing 400% from February to March 2020⁴

Thankfully, this is all avoidable with proper electronic waste disposal. Read on to discover how you can get rid of old equipment while keeping data secure and safe.

(Bonus: we'll also cover how unwanted hardware can be brought back from the dead. And not in a Frankenstein-y way, either.)

Computer equipment disposal done right

Disposing of IT equipment can feel like playing tennis with yourself.

On the one hand, keeping stuff up to date is essential for security. When our hardware can no longer run the latest operating systems and software, it's good practice to wave goodbye.

(Perish the thought, if you still have a dusty old desktop running Windows XP, get rid of it now. LIKE. RIGHT NOW.)

On the other hand, we've seen the dangers of scrapping hardware without following the proper protocol. It might look like a skip full of IT junk to you, but to a hacker, it's a treasure trove of exploitable information.

This is where we come in.

With our IT equipment disposal service, you can rest assured that your data will be completely and irretrievably destroyed. We'll even provide a certificate to prove it.

Suddenly, it's less an exhausting solo tennis match, and more a relaxing game of catch.

"Pfft," you might be saying to yourself. "It's fine. I'll just wipe the hard drive before I scrap it."

If only it was that easy…

How data comes back from the dead

There's a common misconception concerning data deletion. People tend to think that when a file gets deleted, it… err… gets deleted.

Unfortunately, it's not so simple. When you trash a file, only the reference to that file is deleted. The operating system can't see it anymore, but the data is still there, ready to be plucked from the hard drive by any common-or-garden hacker with a dodgy data recovery tool.

Even so-called "wiped" hard drives aren't safe. More than likely, the data will still be recoverable by tech-savvy ne'er-do-wells.

To ensure data is completely unrecoverable, it needs to be deleted forensically using specialist tools. Plus, the proper protocol needs to be followed to keep the process safe and GDPR compliant.

Needless to say, our data disposal specialists do all of the above. We'll shred your data so even the most advanced tools can't get it back, and provide a certificate to guarantee it's gone.

Environmental considerations

There's a big issue we haven't touched on yet. A really big issue. Planet sized, in fact.

Yes, as electronics become ever more essential to everyday work and life, electronic waste is becoming a bigger and bigger problem for Planet Earth.

Improperly disposed-of hardware can have big costs for the environment. And thanks to something called the WEEE Regulations, it can prove costly for your business too.

Despite what the name suggests, the WEEE Regulations don't determine what you're allowed to shout when riding a log flume. WEEE stands for "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment", and the associated regulations lay out environmentally responsible methods for disposing of electronic waste.

Failure to comply can result in hefty fines. Eek.

The regulations can get complicated, but we'd recommend you at least familiarise yourself with the basics. As for the complex and gritty process of PC, phone and laptop disposal? Leave that to us.

The happy side of all this: hardware repair and refurbishment

Allow us to get your attention. We'll give you CASH for old hardware.

Yep, if you have hardware that you no longer need, we'll pay you for it – provided it's in refurbish-able condition.

Not only can this help offset your costs, but you'll get a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing your hardware is going to be reused rather than trashed.

It's all part of our commitment to environmentally responsible PC disposal. If we can repair or refurbish a piece of hardware instead of scrapping it, we almost always will. (While, of course, following our stringent and GDPR-compliant data disposal practices.)

Your hardware might have more mileage in it than you think. Got a piece of IT equipment that can keep pace with the latest security patches, but just isn't working correctly? Our expert engineers will aim to get it back up and running with minimal disruption to your business.

No job is too big or too small. Our phone and computer system repair service can handle everything from zonked hard drives to iPhone screen repair.

Then there's the flip side to this. Maybe you're looking to upgrade your IT equipment on a tight budget? Thanks to our commitment to repair and refurbishment, we have a wide range of refurbished laptops, desktops, phones and tablets for sale.

Perhaps that big IT upgrade will prove cheaper than you ever imagined.

For more information on our computer equipment disposal, repair and refurbishment services, click here. Or get in touch for a no-obligation chat.

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References

1. Statista, "Annual number of data breaches and exposed records in the United States from 2005 to 2020"

2. IBM, "Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021"

3. IBM, "Cost of a Data Breach Report 2020"

4. Reed Smith, "Coronavirus is now possibly the largest-ever security threat – here's how we may be able to tackle it"