The Importance of Data Destruction for Businesses

It’s impossible to operate as a business today without being dependent on technology, which results in a vast amount of digital data. When appliances and digital equipment come to the end of their life, it can be tempting to assume that restoring it to factory settings will be enough to delete the data.  

But this isn’t sufficient and taking shortcuts before disposing of, or recycling, electronics could put your business in a vulnerable position if the data is later discovered and stolen. Data destruction is essential for businesses in possession of sensitive data.

This article will examine why professional destruction of data needs to form part of any data management strategy. 

Avoid data theft

Just because the device your data is stored on is no longer needed doesn’t mean that the data itself stops being of use. And even deleting the data doesn’t prevent it from being retrievable, as WEEE and Asset Management experts, Priority Weee, explain. “In the modern age of computing, data security has become increasingly more concerning, with many reported cases of data recovery, identity fraud and leaking to the public of patient data.

Unfortunately, in many cases, using software to wipe data can never guarantee permanent deletion”. To ensure that your business and clients’ data is protected against potential theft, it’s vital that the data is destroyed and irrecoverable. 

Maintain legal compliance

With privacy legislation such as GDPR in place, businesses have a legal responsibility for how they store and handle data. But it’s not just active data that this applies to. Companies need to be able to supply evidence that they’ve done everything in their power to completely destroy any data they hold that is no longer required, as non-compliance could have legal and financial repercussions.

Criminals will have no problem retrieving data from an erased hard drive, even if you think you’ve deleted the files on it. Physical destruction is the only way to truly make the information on your devices unrecoverable. And professional data destruction services will provide certificates as evidence of the process, so you have proof that you’ve complied with the law. 

Build trust

Trust in your brand is incredibly important for businesses, and it can make or break future success. If you’ve invested countless hours into attracting customers and maintaining their loyalty, the last thing you want is for a data breach to have a negative impact and demolish the trust your customers and clients have in your business.  

If the foundations of your business are built on customer data, it’s critical for your future success that it’s protected, even when the devices it’s on are no longer needed. With a thorough data management strategy, including the destruction of data, you’ll be able to provide your customers with the peace of mind that their information is safe and secure from theft. 

Free up office space

Storing old equipment like hard drives isn’t an efficient use of office space, and it also poses a security risk if your commercial premises are broken into. To provide peace of mind and make better use of the valuable space you have available, data destruction of important devices and machines is the only way forward. A professional and experienced team is the best solution. 

Uphold your reputation

As any business that has suffered a public data breach will know, such an event can destroy a business’ reputation entirely. In fact, 60% of businesses that suffer a data breach or cyberattack will fail within 6 months of the attack taking place. 

To prevent an incident like that from affecting your business reputation, it’s essential that you handle data with care. Not only does this protect your image but it also ensures you avoid fines and generate trust. Your customers and clients’ data is important to them, and by ensuring that it’s removed entirely when no longer needed, you showcase that it’s as important to your business too. 

Final thoughts

Secure data destruction is the key to ensuring that your business remains legally compliant and preserves its reputation as an employer and as a brand. In attempting to handle things yourself, you could wind up with extensive fines, difficulties regaining trust from your clients and legal hassle. Professional data destruction removes the stress and worry over whether your data is truly removed from existence, so you can focus your attention on the things that matter.