Secure IT Asset Disposition: 7 easy solutions for tough challenges

It's never a good idea to put off planning for the future. In your personal life, this could take the form of not putting enough money into your children's university fund, or never getting around to spending that winter in Dubai. When it comes to business, lack of planning for the secure disposal of obsolete IT assets presents issues, too—mainly compliance, cost and security risks.

Facilities and office managers put off dealing with IT asset disposal issues for a variety of reasons. Here's a quick guide to seven major obstacles and how you can work through them.

7 Objections to Secure IT Asset Disposal Programmes:

1. Objection: "It's a nice idea that costs too much."

Rebuttal: C-level execs at your organisation will always keep an eye on the budget. A third-party asset disposition specialist can help you make the ROI case for your programme and will also create metrics to determine its success. What's more, a solid IT asset disposition programme can help control maintenance fees and software licensing costs, while giving you the opportunity to earn money back through safe re-marketing programmes.

2. Objection: "Programme? We don't need a formal programme."

Rebuttal: Guess again. Businesses large and small face data and e-waste destruction regulations. That doesn't just mean data lingering on decommissioned desktops and laptops; it also includes data locked in obsolete printers and fax machines. An asset disposition expert can help you ease your compliance initiative.

3. Objection: "Sounds nice, but how could we manage that in all the satellite offices?"

Rebuttal: A competent IT asset disposition supplier understands this issue—and how to address it. Your vendor can create a programme that covers all of your organisation's locations, however remote.

Creating a Secure IT Asset Disposition Plan

A discussion of what factors should be included in a secure IT asset disposition plan and how that plan aligns with business requirements.

4. Objection: "How could we ever account for everything we need to bin?"

Rebuttal: An expert asset disposition supplier can destroy and dispose of a wide array of technology and media—everything from servers to former employees' ID cards. Its team can help you take inventory of all possible disposition targets.

5. Objection: "I have a supplier and a contract in place."

Rebuttal: That's expected. Recycling and disposition is the law in the UK. But can your supplier guarantee security through full visibility of the destruction process? And how do you know you're getting the best residual value on assets? Ask yourself how your supplier allows you to track, report and audit the process. Anything less than absolutely secure is a risk.

6. Objection: "My existing supplier does it for free."

Rebuttal: Free is never free; the process costs you somewhere. For example, if you're recycling your iPhones for free, think about their residual value. How much would you be able to earn back in partnership with a supplier that offered secure re-marketing?

7. Objection: "We lease our equipment; it's all handled by that company."

Rebuttal: This is a common occurrence that brings unique challenges at the end of your lease agreements. If this is the case, be sure to ask yourself what visibility you have on the residual value given on the kit and how much you trust this value. You also need to know to what extent you can be sure that your devices are securely cleansed. If you have any doubts, you may want to invest in an ITAD-specific supplier.

We hope these tips will help you implement an optimal secure IT asset disposition programme. The alternative—letting old technology and data linger unguarded—is too great a risk for your business to take.