You may have reached the point where the existing PC or laptop you are using within your business is no longer fit for purpose. It could be slowing you down and causing unnecessary disruption and frustration to your day while having knock-on consequences to your bottom line.
If this sounds familiar, the point has come where you need to think about replacing your outdated PC or laptop with something more reliable and quicker. Unfortunately, this isn’t as simple as throwing your old system out into the garbage or handing it over to someone that can use it. If your data gets into the wrong hands, it could be you footing the bill.
Don’t Become Another GDPR Statistic
Avoid these Common IT Disposal Pitfalls
1 Handing equipment to someone else.
You may think that simply deleting your old files is enough to make your existing data safe from unwanted eyes. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Sophisticated criminals use advanced tools which can recover deleted files, email and browsing history. The main issue in handing your old equipment to someone else is that you have no control over whom they give it to. So take back control, and store it away temporarily until you’re ready for proper disposal.
2 Throwing your equipment in the garbage.
Not disposing of your old IT equipment properly can result in your valuable information getting into the wrong hands. New laws under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) now specify that companies suffering a data breach have to legally inform their customers that their data could soon be in the eyes of cyber-criminals. As a business, you really cannot win in this situation. You either put your reputation on the line with customers or receive a fine of around 4% your annual turnover.
3 Illegally disposing of equipment.
It’s a legal requirement that old PCs and laptops must be recycled under the WEEE Regulations 2006 here in the UK. This was set up to minimise the impact of electrical components on human health and lower environmental impact. If you’re found to dispose of your old IT equipment improperly, you can be fined between £600 and £3,500. Disposing of your old PC or laptop with a professional IT company costs a fraction of this.
Trust a Professional IT Company for 100% Safe Disposal
Before you go ahead and throw your old PC or laptop in the trash, first think of the consequences you could face. You could be damaging the environment, your personal data could be compromised, and you could even be heavily fined. This could be as much as 4% of your total yearly company turnover. Things such as emptying the recycling bin, reformatting the hard drive or removing files are not sufficient to stop your data from falling into the hands of criminals. The only way to safely dispose of your old IT equipment is to leave it with a reliable IT company who will completely wipe your data. Your old equipment can then be recycled, or donated to a local non-profit group or charity.
