On-Site Data Destruction Services
Providing Safe On-Site Data Destruction Services throughout Europe.
The Hidden Benefits of On-site Shredding
When safeguarding your data on retired storage media, the safest data destruction method can sometimes be the most convenient. On-site destruction of storage media, using on-site shred vehicles at your business location, is a secure and customer-friendly method to dispose of retired IT assets. On-site shredding is ideal for both large and small volume projects.
In addition to the myriad of services you have come to expect from SLS such as data sanitization, IT asset reuse and responsible recycling, mobile shredding presents multiple benefits to security-focused organizations that are only available with this on-site service:
- Convenience: Our technicians arrive at your site at a specified time and location to perform the service. SLS works collaboratively and proactively with you to minimize disruptions to your working environment.
- Logistical cost savings: Destroying media at your site eliminates the need to arrange for the highest security transport option, secure storage and packing service and materials. When no data leaves your facility, there are no additional costs to secure it.
- Increased security: All risks associated with logistics and data breaches, such as accidents, theft, loss and lapses in the chain of custody, are eliminated.
- Inventory validation: All serial numbers of the storage devices are scanned and recorded and can be validated against client inventory lists. This service provides important audit trails, including final inventory reconciliation.
- Witnessed destruction: On-site shredding includes the option to view your assets being shredded, providing complete assurance that your storage media does not leave your possession until all data is irretrievably destroyed. You can even feed your assets into the shredder yourself.
- All-inclusive pricing: Every company has different IT asset management and data privacy policies. SLS offers mobile shredding with a daily rate and up-front pricing, guaranteeing destruction of all your data storage devices without any surprise fees.
- Immediate documentation: SLS provides an instant audit trail for all media shredded with a same-day Certificate of Data Destruction (CODD). A hard copy of the CODD is accompanied by indefinite electronic storage of all certificates in the Sims Portal.
- Sustainable removal: SLS transports all shredded material taken from your site to an SLS Circular Center for recycling, consistent with WEEE legislation, refining it to be used to produce new commodities. Following the recycling process, a Certificate of Responsible Recycling (CORR) will be provided.
- Quick turn-around time: This service allows you to witness the physical destruction of all your data bearing devices, receive your CODD and have the shredded material transported from your location – all in the same day!
Convenience, confirmation of destruction and absolute security. These are the benefits of data destruction that are only available with on-site mobile media shredding.
SLS can provide a custom program to deliver these services to your company.
Score Your ITAD Program
Score Your ITAD Program with the SLS ITAD Maturity Model
To support our prospects and clients as they manage and improve their IT asset disposition (ITAD) program, Sims Lifecycle Services (SLS) has developed the SLS ITAD Maturity Model. This tool has been designed to help you determine exactly where your program stands and how it aligns with your company’s compliance and data policy risks. A more accurate understanding of industry best practices and policies will help you evaluate the way retired IT assets are, and should be, managed.
When IT assets are removed from the live environment, most companies have a defined ITAD process that identifies how assets are handled as they are reused, redeployed or recycled. The foundation of the SLS ITAD Maturity Model is built on this concept, helping you examine your management process, geographic scope, data security requirements, budget considerations and how you measure success.
We have identified five levels of ITAD maturity to help us connect with you where you are, support your current program, and work with you to develop and optimize your processes. Our Maturity Model can score your current ITAD program and set both long and short-term goals for improvement.
All companies are focused on their live environment. Companies who focus exclusively on the live environment operate at what we define as the “required” level. They typically maintain a general asset list with little or no defined metrics for managing their ITAD program. Asset management at this level is mainly left up to individuals with little or no organizational redundancy, policies or standards. This lack of control can unfortunately lead to assets being lost or stolen, along with the data they may contain.
Companies operating at the highest “optimized” level of ITAD maturity, on the other hand, have optimized their programs across the corporate landscape with executive level support and centralized decision making. The ability to produce exact numbers and detailed specifications contributes to the organization’s financial performance, commercial planning and audit preparedness.
Benefits to be realized by optimizing your program are immediate and obvious. A greater understanding of your IT environment leads to greater control and positions you to command increased financial return, improved security, compliance to international and industry-specific requirements and sustainability gains to enhance your environmental reputation.
Once you have a full understanding of your corporate technological structure you are ready to more fully develop your ITAD program. Whether you’re updating, upgrading, or removing computer equipment, a mature ITAD game plan will better allow you to cover the entire IT lifecycle and not just the end-of-use phase; greater experience will help you more fully understand your range of options.
ITAD programs are the last stage of the IT management process and, unfortunately, are frequently not properly planned or fully developed. Too often an afterthought, ITAD can involve significant risks without a comprehensive and detailed strategy that is consistently implemented throughout your corporation. This makes a proactive ITAD program even more important so your company can understand and avoid undocumented and undefined processes, shortcuts and bad decisions.
Having worked with some of the largest enterprise companies in the world, we have collaborated with corporations who operate at every level of ITAD maturity. This has resulted in not only providing a world class ITAD solution but in helping our clients develop a more complete knowledge of their corporate IT structure.
A coordinated partnership opens many possibilities for improving your company’s ITAD program effectiveness, and with it, enhanced financial performance, security, and sustainability. Let SLS help ensure you achieve optimum results.
New! ITAD Maturity Model e-Book from SLS
Did you know optimized ITAD programs lead to increased financial returns, bolstered security, and enhanced sustainability? With the SLS ITAD Maturity Model, experience immediate benefits and elevate your company’s environmental reputation.
Eight Steps to Improve Your IT Asset Disposition Program
Eight Steps to Improve Your IT Asset Disposition Program
An effective IT asset disposition (ITAD) program ensures that redundant assets are disposed of securely and sustainably. So, how can your organization develop a better ITAD program?
1. Understand the Importance of a Defined ITAD Program
First, recognize the value of a strong ITAD program. Beyond environmental concerns, improper disposal can result in data breaches and hefty regulatory fines. Furthermore, recouping residual value from retired assets can boost your bottom line.
2. Conduct a Comprehensive Inventory
Begin by taking stock of all IT assets. A detailed inventory helps in:
- Defining the scope of your program.
- Estimating the residual value.
- Planning for secure destruction.
- Ensuring accurate reporting is available for the entire lifecycle of all IT assets.
3. Establish Clear Policies and Procedures
Develop standard operating procedures for asset disposition:
- Define which assets can be refurbished, resold, redeployed or recycled.
- Establish a compliant and documented process for data destruction. Industry standards like NIST 800-88r1 provide guidance for data destruction.
- Decide on the methods of destruction, such as degaussing, shredding, or data erasure, a software-based solution. Degaussing and shredding renders storage media unusable. Data erasure enables safe reuse of storage media, which extends the lifecycle of the media.
Make sure your IT team understands the importance of ITAD. Offer training on procedures and best practices. A well-informed team minimizes risks and enhances the effectiveness of the disposition program.
Ensure your ITAD process aligns with current laws to prevent potential legal complications. Regulations, both environmental and data-related, can evolve and should be reviewed regularly.
4. Prioritize Data Security
Ensure all data is completely and securely removed. Engage with vendors who offer certified data destruction services. Always get a certificate of data destruction as proof that data has been securely erased.
5. Choose Vendors Wisely
Partner with a certified ITAD vendor who:
- Adheres to environmental regulations.
- Has a transparent chain-of-custody process.
- Offers refurbishing, reuse and recycling services.
- Provides certificates for data destruction, responsible recycling, market value and sustainability reporting.
6. Budget
Implementing a compliant, data safe ITAD program is possible only with proper budgets and resources.
7. Aim for Sustainability
Choose environmentally friendly disposition methods:
- Encourage refurbishing and repurposing assets.
- Collaborate with ITAD companies that incorporate sustainable processes into their operations and provide sustainability reporting.
- Avoid landfill to prevent harmful toxins from entering the environment.
8. Continuously Review and Adapt
Like all other IT processes, ITAD shouldn’t be static. Regularly review your program, obtain feedback, and make necessary improvements.
A robust ITAD program not only mitigates risks associated with obsolete IT assets but also contributes to an organization’s financial return and environmental and social responsibility goals. By adopting a strategic approach, staying updated with regulations, and collaborating with credible vendors, your organization can enhance its IT asset disposition, adding value and fostering trust.
How Does Your ITAD Program Measure Up?
Ready to rethink your ITAD program? Get your copy of “SLS ITAD Maturity Model”, a 40- page guide to help you reimagine your current ITAD program.
Sims Lifecycle Services Brings Increased Mobility to Data Destruction
Sims Lifecycle Services (SLS) has responded to our clients’ growing need for secure on-site data destruction by increasing our fleet of on-site shred vehicles in Europe. It is now even easier to bring our world-renowned ITAD global services directly to your company. These new vehicles are yet another example of SLS’ increased commitment to providing our customers with industry best-in-class services compliant with your local laws, regulations and company policies.
Our new vehicles allow the flexibility to customize on-site shredding to your specific needs. SLS offers on-site shredding of multiple types of data carriers in the same vehicle, at your location, making it easy for you to witness your devices being destroyed. Our fleet also includes smaller shredding vans, making it easier for clients with tight space considerations to take advantage of this service.
Scheduling and reserving this service is quick and convenient and our onboarding process is straightforward and efficient. With defined processes and robust project management, we make it as easy as possible for you to compliantly shred your end-of-life assets with the absolute minimal disruption to your live work environment. Our experience and commitment to complete data destruction ensures that we provide the right tool for the job.
Media that can be shredded includes magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs), back up tapes, CDs, DVDs, mobile phones, floppy disks and portable storage devices. Our revamped fleet provides our clients with increased flexibility to choose the right shred size options for your specific security needs, from 30mm down to the National Security Agency (NSA) standard of 2mm. This ensures that all data on your storage devices is irretrievably destroyed in accordance with your company’s data privacy policy.
We are also adapting to the changing landscape of data storage devices and the rise of new technology, including gaming, cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). Our capabilities continue to expand so that we are able to keep up with all technology trends and enhance our already comprehensive services as a single-source supplier of your ITAD needs.
Our vehicles provide assurance that assets and data are disposed of compliant with GDPR legislation in a consistent, repeatable and predictable manner. SLS backs all services with a fully auditable chain of custody and access to all documentation 24 hours a day. We are accredited to ISO14001, ISO9001, ISO45001 and ISO27001 and our vehicle operators are cleared to the highest standards.
The shredded media will be sustainably repurposed as our investment in advanced recycling equipment enables us to separate the shredded material into cleanly separated commodity streams which is more environmentally friendly and makes it easier to reuse recycled storage media in producing next generation products.
This investment in new on-site shred vehicles highlights SLS’ commitment to not only customer satisfaction and compliance, but to continuous improvement. As more clients are requiring that data is destroyed while data bearing assets are still in their custody, we are listening and responding. The ever-evolving relationship between SLS and our clients drives us to adapt to all industry trends and demands.
SLS operates globally and can support your data destruction needs worldwide.