www.converge.com
A Converge IT Asset Disposition White Paper
Silencing Data
Forever
www.converge.com
Page 2
Copyright © 2009 Converge
Silencing Data Forever
A Converge White Paper
In June 2009, PBS’s “Frontline” documentary program took viewers to
Africa and Asia to investigate what it called “digital dumping grounds,” or
offshore locations where old computers go to die. The images of toxic
smoke emanating from the filthy, burning equipment was horrifying
enough, but IT professionals had one more reason to squirm: Reporters
uncovered mountains of personal data – including details about classified
U.S. government contracts – from disk drives retrieved at the scene.
Chances are that the organizations whose information was compromised by careless disposal weren’t
even aware of it. These companies may have handed off old equipment to agents that they thought were
legitimate refuse disposal services, thinking that any sensitive data would be safely destroyed. What
these companies didn’t know was that destroying or erasing digital assets like disks, memory and tape
can be devilishly difficult. Only the most reputable, ethical and process-driven organizations stand a
chance of delivering 100% compliance.
When it comes to disposing of outdated IT equipment, “out of sight, out of mind” is all too often the rule.
Old computers are an unsightly nuisance to be removed from view, and it’s easy for organizations to
overlook the fact that current and sensitive data may still live on them. Data destruction and the vital
auditing processes that accompany it are a time-consuming job. The risk of exposure may seem so small
that it’s easier to just hope for the best. IT organizations and their users may cut corners by using a
simple “delete all” function to remove data.
Unfortunately, proper erasure is not that easy. Secure and complete data erasure may involve multiple
stages, up to and including the physical destruction of the storage device. Government and regulatory
reporting requirements ma