Hardly a week goes by without hearing about another expensive and destructive hacker attack. Data and identity theft are becoming shockingly common; one report found that you’re more likely to have at least 10,000 private electronic records stolen from your business than you are to catch the flu this year. The risks and potential damages are terrifying, but there are things you can do, including hiring a professional recycling company such as TechWaste to handle your private data and electronics disposal.
The Real Costs of Data Theft
Most consumers have little idea of how costly running a business is. The margin of profit can be narrow in the best of times in some cases, and a data breach will be closer to the worst, with experts saying the cost for U.S. companies was $7.91 million on average per instance in 2018. For “mega breaches” the cost can be in the hundreds of millions, far beyond what companies can afford or policies cover. Insurance companies – both major firms and small, local offices – are often juicy targets due to the number of records and the very personal information contained in them.
Proactive Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Business
There are some simple things you can do to help prevent data theft. Start by keeping your business and personal information separate to contain any breach. Build awareness of the dangers among everyone with access to computers or smart devices in your business, including the dangers of social engineering. Use strong passwords or passphrases, and strongly discourage the reuse of passwords between accounts. Finally, make sure all your electronic storage devices are destroyed by a responsible and certified data recycler.
What to Do if You’ve Been Breached
The odds are worryingly high that at some point you may experience data theft, so remember that you aren’t alone and there are important things you can do immediately afterward to mitigate the damage. Ideally, call in a cyber security expert. If you don’t do that, first change every password used in any device that connects to your business. Then determine what was stolen and what was the most sensitive. Contact the authorities and notify any other business that the theft may impact.
TechWaste Will Help Protect Your Data
One way criminals have found to get around online data security is by stealing storage devices thrown away by businesses. All it takes is one USB or hard drive with sensitive data; in the wrong hands, this can be an easy doorway to highly personal information. TechWaste uses military-grade data destruction on all their devices and provides businesses with chain-of-custody proof of permanent destruction, so you can rest a little easier and have ready of good intent if the worst case happens.
TechWaste Recycling directly services all of Southern California and provides pickup services to its facilities from nationwide locations. Visit TechWaste Recycling’s website at www.techwasterecycling.com to schedule a pickup that works for your convenience and schedule.
Learn more about TechWaste’s data destruction process here: Secure Data Destruction Services
Contact Info:
Richard Steffens
1940 E. Occidental street
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Phone: 866-637-8469
