Computer Recycler Scrapitout.com Offering Secure Chain-of-Custody

Consider the case of the well-known plastic surgeon that placed a computer with private patient records in his trash.

Patients of Daniel Bortnick filed a class-action lawsuit against the physician and his practice. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for negligence, invasion of privacy and breach of fiduciary duty. The patient expressed dismay that their records, assumed were confidential had been treated so carelessly.

"The incident is unfortunate, but sadly it doesn’t really surprise me." Said David Thomas of ScrapItOut.com. "It is becoming increasingly important for both firms and service providers to ensure they have done their due diligence. Whether service providers are destroying paper documents or electronic ones, questions need to be asked and answered. Issues like collection, process, and the use of any subcontractors and their practices must be addressed. If you do not feel comfortable with the answers, keep shopping until you feel confident in your provider, one that can provide adequate chain-of-custody documentation."

Disposal costs, which vary depending on the quantity and condition of the equipment, as well as on the method of disposal, can involve things like disconnecting PCs from networks, erasing sensitive data from hard drives and, in some cases, reloading operating systems and testing the equipment.

Thomas goes on to say, "When companies evaluate disposal options, they must consider the per-PC costs, the administrative overhead of the disposal method selected, and the legal and economic risks to the enterprise for improper disposal."

Recycling and disposal of computers has recently received increased attention, with international environmental groups accusing computer manufacturers and buyers, along with the U.S. government, of using countries in Asia as junkyards for outdated computer equipment.

"Many enterprises have paid a high price in costs, regulatory fines, bad publicity and even litigation, when their PCs turned up in landfills or third-world countries, or when confidential data was recovered from hard drives that had not been properly sanitized," Thomas said.

For computer and IT recycling, look for a company that offers a secure chain-of-custody to protect your company against inadvertently going against regulations. Make sure you have an audit trail of where the equipment goes—not just the company that took it, but where it finally ends up being made into new items; which may involve several different companies.

Data Destruction should be handled by companies that are members of The National Association of Information Destruction (NAID), which is the international trade association for companies providing information destruction services.

Based in Austin, Texas, Scrap It Out handles the proper destruction of business information and records, as well as, environmentally friendly computer disposal.

Call Now: (512) 569-4192
Or email now: email@scrapitout.com