Getting rid of old computers or servers? Did you know that the components used in technology equipment are not landfill-safe? On top of the environmental hazards, unprotected e-waster typically contains lots of confidential and private information in the form of saved passwords, Internet history and file left on the retired computer or server.
As a first prevention step, find a local recycling facility where e-waste can be safely disposed of. And make sure to take the #1 security precaution before you haul if off: remove and destroy the hard drives. A drill and hammer usually do the trick just fine. Alternatively, many companies that shred paper documents will also destroy your hard drives.
Don’t forget other e-waste such as mobile phones, copy machines and any other device that ever touched your company data. Give serious thought to what data is on any device before you recycle it.