Stop Sharing

Mothers encourage us to share. In fairness to mothers, they probably aren’t considering retiring IT assets when they tell us sharing is good.

Sharing inventory with a recycler is like a teacher giving the answers to a student before a test. Teachers don’t share answers with students for a reason.

Teachers don’t share answers because there is a conflict of interest. Even the most trustworthy student is tempted to cheat.

Companies hire disposal vendors to transfer liability. If your equipment is found in the wrong place or discovered with your data, an unbroken chain of custody is critical to hold a disposal vendor accountable.

Sharing your inventory with a recycler impugns chain-of-custody evidence. An innocent act of sharing undermines everything.

A critical aspect of every data security law is that organizations must minimize conflicts that create opportunities for theft and fraud.

Sophisticated disposal vendors understand that independent third-party verification (TPV) is legally required.

Unethical recyclers encourage you to share your inventory for two reasons:

1) They can provide you with a false sense of security, and

2) It can shield them from any liability.

Disposal vendors must provide an independent and accurate inventory of equipment they received from you. If you share your inventory, they could determine something is missing. Therefore, sharing enables a recycler to fraudulently hide potential losses (and justify it by saying, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you”).

Sorry, Mom. Sharing is not always a good thing.

When retiring IT assets, sharing your inventory with a recycler is a cardinal sin.

If there is anything we can do to serve you, please say the word.