What You Should Look for in an ITAD Provider

By now, IT asset disposition (ITAD) should be nothing new.  If your business has been utilizing evolving technologies over the course of several years, or even decades, then you know how important it is to upgrade equipment, devices, and software solutions regularly to take advantage of new advances and remain competitive.

This means that every so often, your North Dakota business will have to figure out what to do with the outdated IT equipment and devices you replace.  Sure, you can tuck them away in storage until some nebulous later date, but this may put you at significant risk for theft (internal or external), potentially leading to data breach.

Your best bet is to have a plan in place for the end of equipment life cycle, one that involves handing off devices to your trusted ITAD service provider for destruction in a timely manner.  The trick is finding the right ITAD service provider.  What should you look for?

Certifications

Vetting the companies you outsource to is no easy feat, but the process is made a lot simpler when regulatory and oversight bodies do the heavy lifting for you.  This means asking about certifications ITAD service providers hold as a means of gauging their suitability to serve as your data destruction partner.

You should always look for certification with renowned industry watchdogs including e-Stewards and R2. These certifications mean a company is going above and beyond data security, safety, and environmental best practices.

Don’t forget to ask about compliance.  A good partner will offer compliance with environmental and consumer privacy laws, as well as industry-related regulations such as HIPAA, FACTA, GLBA, FISMA, FERPA, PCI DSS, and more, staying up-to-date on your behalf.

Security

It’s not easy to trust others, even reputable and reliable professionals, with sensitive data that could compromise your company and your customers.  You need an ITAD service provider that offers security measures every step of the way, from locking bins for your office, to the option to shred on-site as you watch, to secure transport, facilities, and recycling practices, to fully vetted downstream partners.  A trustworthy vendor will have no trouble enumerating safety features to assure you that your data is always secure.

Transparency

Some companies are not entirely forthcoming about their data destruction processes, and this should give you pause.  You want a mobile shredding service that offers either on-site shredding while you watch for confirmation, or transport to a secure facility, after which you can use a client portal to track progress by serial number.  A dependable partner will always offer transparency in processing and reporting, along with chain-of-custody tracking for your peace of mind.

Proof of Destruction

The final element to look for is an ITAD service provider that offers proof for your records, in the form of Certificates of Destruction and Recycling.  This ensures that you are in the clear should your actions in destroying data and devices ever come into question.

When your North Dakota or South Dakota company needs a trustworthy ITAD service provider, contact SEAM today at 605-274-7326 (SEAM) or online to request a quote and learn more.