October 2008

Company data is one of the most important assets for any business and should therefore be kept secure, however the­re are still increasing news stories reporting on information leaks and the retrieval of data that was not disposed of correctly. As a business it is important to recog­nise the risks associated with holding data, as well as the necessary procedures needed to ensure the confidential information you ­hold remains confidential.

One of the frequent security risks encountered by companies is through their use of USB memory drives. These d­ri­ves are­ popular and widely used by businesses because of their ability to store and transfer large quantities of information at a quick rate. Howe­ver, because of their small size, they can be easily misplaced or even stolen which, in worst cases, can lead to drastic legal, financial or business consequences.

Surprisingly, many companies still do not take the necessary procedures to en­sure the data they hold on their USB sticks is secure. To protect your data, not only is it important to backup your memory stick regularly via automated means, but to also make sure that only the required people are able to access the data on it. One of the ways that this can be achieved is by investing in encrypted USB drives, with which a ­password would need to be entered before the data can be decrypted and viewed. This helps ensure that information held on current devices is protected from getting into the wrong hands, even if the device is lost or stolen.

So, even if your company takes these steps to ensure the data they hold on current drives is secured, what happens to those hard drives in old PCs and Servers that are no longer needed and either recycled or disposed of?

There have been many news stories regarding the retrieval of company information from old hard drives. Simply wiping your hard drive is not sufficient to erase all data existing on the drive, in fact, destroying data through crushing the equipment is still not enough, as information can be retrieved from fragments (for example, 300 pages of ­potentially sensitive data can be retrieved from just one inch of hard drive). ­It is recommended that companies should avoid ‘DIY’ data removal techniques such as deleting or overwriting files, magnetising the hard drive and m­anuall­y destroying the drive by smashing it or drilling hole­s in it.

Rockford IT offers expert advice and solutions for such security procedures.

It offers cost-effective encrypted USB drives, ensuring that if your company USB stick was misplaced or stolen, then your valuable data would be protected. The drives use high-security encryption software, requiring a password to be entered before the data on the drive­ can be viewed.

In addition, Rockford IT offers a data destruction service, allowing compani­es to pass their old data storage units to Rockford to completely erase the data. Following on from the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) EU legislation 2007 (requiring all EU companies to safely dispose of, or recycle, any products when they are no longer needed), Rockford IT ensures that its customers’ hard drives are disposed of in the correct and ethical way, and issues a certificate to its customers to confirm the complete erasure and disposal of the hard drive, essentially giving the customer peace of mind, and ensuring the security of their company data.

For further information please contact us on 0333 101 9000 or complete our enquiry form.