Technology Equipment Disposal Policy
Technology1.0 Purpose
Organizational technology equipment often contains partssensitive whichdata cannotand simplycomponents berequiring thrownspecial away.handling at Properthe end of its lifecycle. Improper disposal ofposes equipmentsignificant isrisks, bothincluding environmentallydata responsiblebreaches and often required by law. In addition, hard drives, USB drives, CD-ROMs and otherif storage media contain various kinds of <Company Name> data, some of which is considered sensitive. In order to protect our constituent’s data, all storage mediums must be properly erased before being disposed of. However, simply deleting or even formatting data isare not consideredsecurely sufficient.sanitized, environmental Whenharm, and potential legal non-compliance. Simply deleting files or formatting astorage device,devices is insufficient, as data isoften markedremains forrecoverable. deletion, but is still accessible until being overwritten by a new file. Therefore, special tools must be used to securely erase data prior to equipment disposal.
The purpose of this policy itis to define the guidelinesmandatory procedures for the disposal of all organizational technology equipment and componentscomponents, ownedensuring bysecure <Companydata Name>.sanitization, environmentally responsible disposal, and proper asset management.
2.0 Scope
This policy applies to all employees, contractors, consultants, temporary staff, and affiliates of the organization. It covers any computer/organization-owned or leased technology equipment or peripheral devicesdevice that areis no longer needed withinor <Companyhas Name>reached including,the end of its useful life. This includes, but is not limited to the following: to: personal computers, servers, hard drives, laptops, mainframes, smart phones, or handheld computers (desktops, i.e.laptops, tablets), Windowsservers, Mobile,mainframes, iOShard ordrives Android-based(internal/external), devices)solid-state drives (SSDs), smartphones, handheld devices, peripherals (i.e., keyboards, mice, monitors, speakers), printers, scanners, typewriters,copiers, compactfax andmachines, network equipment (routers, switches, firewalls, access points), removable storage media (USB drives, CDs, DVDs, floppy discs, portable storage devices (i.e., USB drives)disks), backup tapes, batteries, and related printed materials.materials containing sensitive information.
3.0 Policy Statements
All3.1 <CompanyCentralized Name>Disposal employees and affiliates must comply with this policy. Process
Technology* Equipment**Mandatory Disposal
When Technologyorganizational technology assets have reachedreach the end of their useful life or are no longer needed, they should**must** be senttransferred to the <Equipmentdesignated organizational team responsible for asset disposal (hereafter referred to as the "Disposal Team"). Users or departments must not dispose of equipment independently.
* **Prohibited Disposal Methods:** Disposing of organizational technology equipment via unauthorized methods such as general waste skips, dumps, landfill, or unauthorized third parties is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized sale or donation of equipment is also prohibited.
* **Secure Handling:** The Disposal Team> officewill formanage properthe disposal.secure storage, data sanitization, and final disposal or repurposing of all received equipment.
The3.2 <EquipmentMandatory Data Sanitization
* **Requirement:** Before any equipment containing storage media (hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, mobile device storage, tapes, etc.) is disposed of, repurposed, sold, donated, or leaves organizational control, all organizational data, licensed software, and sensitive information **must** be securely and permanently removed (sanitized).
* **Sanitization Standards:** Data sanitization must be performed by the Disposal Team> willusing securelymethods erasethat allmeet storageor mediumsexceed in accordance with currentestablished industry beststandards practices.
Allas dataNIST including,SP all800-88 filesGuidelines andfor licensedMedia softwareSanitization shallor beDoD removed5220.22-M). fromAcceptable equipmentmethods usinginclude:
* **Overwriting:** Using approved disk sanitizing software thatto cleansoverwrite every addressable sector on the media overwritingmultiple each and every disk sector of the machinetimes with specified patterns (e.g., zero-filled blocks, meetingrandom Departmentpatterns). ofSimple Defensefile standards.
No computerdeletion or technologystandard equipmentOS mayformatting is **not** sufficient.
* **Degaussing:** Using a powerful magnetic field to destroy the magnetic domains on magnetic media like hard drives and tapes (not effective for SSDs or optical media).
* **Physical Destruction:** Rendering the storage media physically unreadable and data unrecoverable through methods like shredding, crushing, disintegration, or incineration. This is the required method for SSDs if overwriting is not feasible or verifiable, and for media that are non-functional or cannot be soldeffectively to any individual other than through the processes identified in this policyoverwritten (Sectione.g., 4.2some below)mobile devices, CDs/DVDs).
*
No**Verification computerand equipmentLogging:** should be disposed of via skips, dumps, landfill etc. Electronic recycling bins may be periodically placed in locations around <Company Name>. These can be used to dispose of equipment. The <Equipment Disposal Team> willmust properlyverify removethe allsuccessful datasanitization priorof tostorage finalmedia. disposal.A
All electronic drivesrecord must be degaussedmaintained, orpotentially overwritten with a commercially available disk cleaning program. Hard drives may also be removed and rendered unreadable (drilling, crushing or other demolition methods).
Computer Equipment refers to desktop, laptop, tablet or netbook computers, printers, copiers, monitors, servers, handheld devices, telephones, cell phones, disc drives or any storage device, network switches, routers, wireless access points, batteries, backup tapes, etc.
The <Equipment Disposal Team> will placeincluding a sticker onor tag affixed to the equipment casecase, indicating the disksanitization wipemethod has been performed. The sticker will includeused, the date performed, and the initials or ID of the technician whoresponsible.
* performed**Non-Functional theMedia:** diskStorage wipe.
Technologythat equipment withare non-functioningfunctional memoryand cannot be reliably sanitized via overwriting or storagedegaussing technology willmust have the memory orphysical storage devicecomponent removed and it will be physically destroyed.
3.3 Employee Purchase ofProgram Disposed Equipment(Optional)
Equipment* whichThe isorganization working,may, butat its discretion, make certain functional equipment that has been securely sanitized and reached the end of its usefulorganizational life to <Company Name>, will be madelifecycle available for purchase by employees.
*
A**Process:** lotteryIf implemented, this program must use a fair and transparent system will(e.g., bea usedlottery) to determineprovide who has theequal opportunity tofor purchasepurchase. available equipment.
All equipment purchases must go through the lottery process. Employees cannot directly purchase or reserve their officepreviously computer directly or “reserve” a system. This ensures that all employees have an equal chance of obtainingassigned equipment.
*
**Pricing:** The designated Finance and InformationIT Technologydepartments will determine an appropriate costpricing for eachitems item.offered.
* **Condition:**
All purchasesequipment areis final.sold "as-is," Nofinal warrantysale, with no warranty, support, or supportlicensed will besoftware provided with any equipment sold.
Any equipment not in working order or remaining fromby the lotteryorganization.
* process**Inventory willRemoval:** beAll donated or disposed of according to current environmental guidelines. Information
Technology has contracted with several organizations to donate or properly dispose of outdated technology assets.
Prior to leaving <Company Name> premises, allpurchased equipment must be formally removed from the Informationorganization's Technologyasset inventory system.system before leaving the premises.
3.4 Final Disposal/Donation
* Equipment not sold through the employee purchase program (if applicable), deemed non-functional, or unsuitable for reuse will be disposed of or donated.
* Disposal must be carried out in an environmentally responsible manner, adhering to all applicable local, state, and federal regulations (e.g., e-waste recycling laws).
* The Disposal Team will utilize contracted, reputable vendors specializing in secure IT asset disposition (ITAD) and certified e-waste recycling or donation.
4.0 Compliance
4.1 Compliance Measurement
The designated IT authority (e.g., Precision Computer teamteam, Information Security, Internal Audit, Asset Management) will verify compliance towith this policy through various methods, including butaudits notof limitedthe to,disposal businessprocess, toolreview reports,of internalsanitization logs and vendor certifications, physical inventory checks, internal/external audits, and feedbackinvestigation of any potential data incidents related to theimproper policy owner. disposal.
4.2 Exceptions
Any exception to the procedures outlined in this policy mustrequires beformal, approveddocumented byjustification and advance approval from the designated IT authority (e.g., Precision Computer Team inor advance.Information Security) and potentially Legal or Compliance departments, depending on the nature of the exception.
An4.3 employeeEnforcement
Failure to havecomply violatedwith this policypolicy, particularly the requirements for centralized disposal and secure data sanitization, may beresult subject toin disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.employment or contract. Improper disposal may also lead to legal liability for the organization and individuals involved.
5.0 Definitions
* **Data Sanitization:** The process of irreversibly removing or destroying data stored on memory devices (hard drives, SSDs, tapes, mobile devices, etc.) to make it unrecoverable.
* **Overwriting:** A data sanitization method using software to write patterns of data (e.g., zeros, ones, random characters) onto storage media sectors.
* **Degaussing:** A data sanitization method using a powerful magnetic field to neutralize the magnetic charge on magnetic media (hard drives, tapes).
* **Physical Destruction:** A data sanitization method that physically damages the storage media beyond the possibility of data recovery (e.g., shredding, crushing, incineration).
* **Disposal Team:** The designated organizational department or group responsible for managing the collection, data sanitization, and final disposition of retired technology assets (e.g., IT Asset Management, Facilities).
* **Technology Equipment:** Includes computers, servers, storage devices, mobile devices, network gear, peripherals, and related items as detailed in the Scope section.
* Asset Management Policy
* Data Classification Policy
* Information Security Policy (Overall)
* Record Retention Schedule / Policy
* Physical Security Policy
* Change Management Policy (for decommissioning servers/systems)