Just because IT equipment has reached the end of its perceived life for a business doesn’t mean that it can, or should, be stuck in a corner, binned, or forgotten about. Here at Procurri, we take data security and legal obligations regarding the environmental impact of e-waste recycling extremely seriously; with safety a priority at every step of the ITAD & Lifecycle Services process. But how does this translate into a tangible security protocol? Let’s investigate…
An often-underestimated security aspect in the ITAD & Lifecycle Services process is the transportation of hardware and e-waste recycling to the facilities at which it will be wiped, refurbished, and recycled. Procurri works with a limited number of carefully selected logistics partners for collection and transportation purposes. All vehicles used are for the exclusive single use of the customer with no other shipments on board. Vehicles are rigid-sided, unmarked, security locked, and tracked with GPS throughout their journey. What’s more, all drivers and crew employed are security cleared to DBS level (or higher relevant geographical requirement). Every member of staff employed in the process has experience in the transportation of hardware and so can carry out their duties to the highest standard of excellence.
Before any ITAD & Lifecycle Services collection happens, Procurri issues the customer with a pre-collection agreement stating exactly the equipment will be collected, providing unique collection identifiers for each item, and giving authority to the customer for the movement of the hardware. Once signed by the customer’s representative, the equipment is legally designated as UEEE (Used Electrical and Electronic Equipment). Whether the equipment ends up as WEEE disposal (as e-waste recycling) or is designated for reuse (to become certified pre-owned or product buyback), a Waste Transfer Note will be issued, with everything processed under a licensed agency accredited to the highest possible level.
Procurri is the EMEA partner and reseller for Blancco data erasure hardware, approved by NCSC to HMG IAS 5 (1 or 3 overwrite). Using the Blancco data erasure hardware, Procurri’s specialized engineers can process high volumes of disks all erased to this level, each item with a certificate of data erasure produced to provide a full end-to-end audit process.
All ITAD processed that is data-bearing by Procurri is managed in a separate, secure facility to its other buildings; monitored 24/7/365 by CCTV (covering loading bays, all exits and entrances, and data erasure areas), and fully alarmed. Only fully security-cleared and authorized staff may enter the ITAD, with no visitors permitted – aside from customers to witness their own data erasure in operation. The external signage to the building makes no reference to the trading activity or operations undergone inside. Furthermore, all hardware is considered to be data-bearing until it has been audited to prove otherwise. Until this point, all hardware is caged and locked before being sorted with other non-data-bearing equipment after assessment – at which point it may be categorized as saleable stock or may enter the waste stream.