PC Disposal and Data Protection

When planning IT disposals, whether from a large corporation, small business, public body or school, data protection is critically important. Data security is a legal requirement under the Data Protection Act 1998 but is also an essential way to protect against the catastrophic loss of credibility and trust resulting from leaks of information.

At Digital Links, we ensure that data is irretrievably removed from all data-bearing equipment. The process is fully traceable with each piece of data-wiped equipment given a unique “sanitiser code” when the process is 100% complete.

Our refurbishing partner has Infosec 5 accreditation. Infosec 5 is the latest standard in IT security processes as determined by the Communications- Electronics Security Group (CESG), the Information Assurance arm of GCHQ who vet the Infosec standard.

Data is removed from hard drives using Blancco Data Cleaner v4.5HMG, approved at both Baseline and Enhanced Overwriting Standards. Blancco Data Cleaner v4.5HMG is approved for UK government enhanced overwriting use. A certificate of compliance is available upon request for every machine that is data wiped through Digital Links. This process encourages re-use and is of environmental benefit.

Blancco Data Cleaner erases all existing data up to Confidential, Secret and Top Secret levels. Blancco covers all international standards, and is the only product certified by:

• CESG Infosec British National Technical Authority for Information Assurance according to specifications set in HMM Infosec Standard No: 5
• DIPCOG The British Defence Infosec Product Cooperation Group
• NSTL National Software Test Laboratories in the UK
• US DoD 5220.22-M (meets and exceeds data security standards) US Department of Defence

Blancco Data Cleaner is also the only commercially insured product.

In circumstances where a hard disk drive is inoperable or has bad sectors, hard disks would be removed from machines and destroyed within a SEAP-approved process. The hard disk would then be physically shredded and recycled. A certificate of compliance will be available upon request for every HDD destroyed.

Additional guidance on the data Protection Act is available at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.