In a new feature, LionCage IT experts respond to your questions on Data Security
Question: I run a small business and of course I use a computer to keep track of business expenses, my three employees’ payroll, my customers’ information, the details of the jobs that we are involved with, and other miscellaneous company matters.
When an excessive amount of old, unneeded paperwork has piled up, I do have an office paper shredder that I use to shred it. Why would I need to make use of a company like LionCage to have this done professionally?
Answer: Although you may not have even realized it, the paperwork you have mentioned, and possibly other documents you did not mention, contain very personal and confidential data. Among these are: names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and checking account numbers.
To data thieves this information is a gold mine! Many home or office shredders do not destroy documents adequately, and, with enough effort, those shredded strips can be reconstructed. “Dumpster divers” will actually go through your discarded garbage and collect those shreds along with other ‘torn up’ office paperwork. By doing so, names and numbers can be pieced together, and an individual’s identity can be stolen. When that happens, bogus credit cards, loans, etc. can be applied for, and the victim can suffer terrible damage to their credit that may be close to impossible to overcome. Aside from the moral responsibility you would feel, there could be legal ramifications for a business owner if he or she is proved to be liable for an individual’s confidential information being exposed. Professional document shredding companies like LionCage have the capability of shredding your unneeded documents so finely, into such extremely tiny pieces, that it is almost like dust, with absolutely no way of ever being reconstructed to be readable. This eliminates any risk of responsibility for identity theft. Even when taking the cost of professional shredding into the equation, you come out ahead using professionals like LionCage. Most home/office shredders can only shred a small number of sheets at a time without jamming. If you have accumulated several boxes of papers that need to be shredded, this can take many valuable hours out of your work day. Our industrial quality shredders will do a better job, and do it faster. Plus, – we do all the schlepping!
LionCage Shredding is NAID AAA Rated and BIC Certified.
Question: My office recently upgraded our computers. We would like to dispose of the old hard drives in a manner that will ensure that the data is permanently removed. What is the process, and how can I know the data is permanently gone?
Answer: With the cost of computers (and generally the longevity of the hardware) spiraling downwards, people replace their computers, laptops, and servers frequently. Disposing of a computer is not like the disposal of a microwave. Your computer may hold medical records, financial records, or other confidential data belonging to you or your clients. Hence, the data in your computer must be destroyed properly before being disposed of.
There are three primary methods of hard drive destruction used by data security professionals.
- Sanitizing – Sanitizing erases the hard drive by writing and re-writing to the drive multiple times (http://lioncageshredding.com/services/hard-drive-and-electronic-destruction/drive-sanitization/). This is similar to the way, back in the days of VHS tape players, that we used to record a new recording over an old recording that we didn’t need any more.
- Puncturing – Puncturing literally punctures a hole through the center of the drive –please see this video at the bottom of the following link. http://lioncageshredding.com/about-us/
- Degaussing – Degaussing is a technique that exposes the hard drive to a high power electro-magnetic pulse that magnetically “erases” the data. http://lioncageshredding.com/services/hard-drive-and-electronic-destruction/degaussing-hard-drives-magnetic-media/
While all three destruction methods are certified and proven secure, the majority of our clients in the medical/legal fields opt for degaussing followed by puncturing, while home users and other small businesses go just with degaussing. Once the data destruction is completed, the next step is recycling of the computer and its accessories. You can’t throw away your old computers with the regular trash because computers and their accessories contain metals and plastics that need to be processed safely. Using a responsible data security solution provider such as LionCage will ensure that your equipment is recycled safely and properly.
If you have a question relating to any aspect of data security, please contact us and we will be happy to respond.
To contact LionCage:
Phone 718-575-5466
E-Mail [email protected]
Questions answered by Moti Mitteldorf , Moti has been providing IT solutions since 1997 initially via IT consulting, migrating in 2009 to specializing in data security solutions including but not limited to data destruction, online backup and vulnerability detection.
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