WASTE/RECYCLING
Sustainable ICT requires stringent soft copy sanitation
Disposing of ICT equipment to a company that can refurbish it is an environmentally-responsible approach to managing upgrades. However, as Simon Walsh, co-founder and director of secure data erasure specialist, ShP Ltd, explains, protecting data security needs to be an integral part of the package.
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echnology moves quickly. For local authorities managing huge amounts of data and working hard to deliver accessibility and e-government targets, there is a constant need to deliver fast and efficient ICT services at all levels. Similarly, effective communication is an essential component in delivering joined up services, and an authority’s telecommunication networks need to be reliable in terms of performance and functionality. Because of all of these factors, most local authorities are always in the process of improving their ICT and telecommunications resources to keep up with changes in technology. Personnel levels – and ICT requirements – will vary depending on the size of the authority, but even smaller authorities are usually in a constant process of upgrading in at least one department.
Similar pressures face any public sector organisation. Schools, hospitals, libraries and museums all rely on IT and mobile phone technology to deliver services and all have to upgrade hardware as part of their asset management strategy. But it’s not just about the physical removal of equipment: those assets often store confidential and sensitive data, which must be securely and completely erased in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Data security obligations are rigorously policed across the public sector by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which has responsibility for ensuring that public sector organisations protect sensitive and private data, with the power to issue substantial fines of up to £500,000 where these obligations are not met. As a result, the process of disposing of ICT hardware involves significant due diligence to ensure both environmental and data protection compliance.
ECO COMPLIANCE
The days when disused computer hardware ended up in landfill are now behind us. The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Regulations
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2006 aim to reduce the amount of WEEE being sent to landfill and require electrical and electronic equipment producers to pay for its reuse, recycling and recovery. Working in partnership with a specialist company that can refurbish and re-deploy equipment ensures that public sector organisations remain WEEE compliant and that they also comply with Environment Agency and RoHS regulations, delivering environmental best practice known as Best Available Treatment Recovery & Recycling Techniques (BATRRT) for WEEE. A reputable provider should also offer complete transparency, accountability and accurate reporting, ensuring complete traceability for every item of IT hardware and mobile phone handset. moreover, they will also offer reimbursements for old equipment based on the market value of the refurbished item, providing a valuable revenue source that can be reinvested in new ICT assets.
ACCOUNTABLE ACCREDITATION Landfill is not the only disposal option to be avoided. Public sector organisations must also be strict about preventing members of staff from taking equipment home for personal use or attempting to dispose of it themselves, as this could represent a serious infringement of the Data Protection Act. All data from IT hardware and mobile phone handsets must be securely erased by an accredited specialist and public sector organisations should expect their provider to be a certified user and gold partner of Blancco data erasure software to ensure maximum levels of security. A reliable and secure data erasure specialist should also provide full account management and detailed reporting for every item of hardware from collection through to reimbursement because, according to ICO rules, maintaining the required level of data security remains the responsibility of the public sector organisation even while the hardware is in transit. Working with a provider that will arrange pick up of equipment using
Public sector sustainability • Volume 3 issue 9
their own fleet of unmarked vehicles and drivers helps to overcome the risk of loss in transit, ensuring greater accountability and peace of mind. Identifying a suitable supplier can be done through ADISA (Asset Disposal & Information Security Alliance), a group of leading risk management, compliance and data protection experts. To join the alliance, members must achieve a minimum score from a stringent assessment and prove that they are capable of consistently delivering high standards of data sanitation, making ADISA membership a clear indicator of competence. It was certainly amongst the criteria that Dudley Council’s ICT Services Department stipulated when hiring ShP Ltd to ensure that all data was securely wiped from 2,000 mobile handsets. The handsets were from all departments, including adult and children’s services where council teams routinely work with vulnerable people, so there could be absolutely no question of any data reaching the public domain. ShP not only provided a completely audited account of the data erasure process from beginning to end, including detailed records to tally each handset with each mobile phone account, but also reimbursed Dudley Council for the erased handsets, providing a financial return that could be re-invested in new ICT equipment.
MAXIMISED SERVICE LIFE
Sustainability is all about minimising the use of raw materials and maximising the service life of assets, so enabling the re-use of redundant ICT equipment – and a commitment to using 100% recycled products – is an integral part of delivering sustainability goals. However, only by ensuring secure data sanitation can public sector organisations comply with all their legislative obligations, so finding the right partner is essential.
wwwshplimited.co.uk
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