New year, old equipment? Prevent data problems in 2013 by following the ICO IT disposal guidelines when destroying your old hard drives and media devises.
The ICO has produced guidance to help organisations securely dispose of their IT equipment. The guidance explains to organisations what they need to consider when disposing of electronic equipment that may contain personal data including Hard Drives, back up tapes and other electronic devises.
Key statistics
The ICO has produced some key statistics highlighting the need for organisations to dispose of their IT equipment securely with certified companies.
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The size of the civil monetary penalty served on Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust on 1 June 2012 after a number of unscrubbed hard drives containing sensitive personal data were sold on eBay. |
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1 in 10 second hand hard drives sold online which are believed to contain personal data according to a YouGov survey carried out for the ICO. |
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65% of UK adults that give their old phone, computer or laptop to another user once they no longer need it according to the same survey. |
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The 7th principle of the Data Protection Act states that “appropriate technical and organisational measures must be taken to avoid accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data”. |
