The data centre is the beating heart of an organisation , where the different strands of IT infrastructure come together to power a business . Any lapse in compliance or security , such as non-secure disposal of an asset , can affect operational continuity and put businesses at risk of significant financial and reputational consequences if a data breach occurs . This year , the average cost of a data breach was US $ 4.45 million , a 15 % increase over the past three years , according to IBM .
A strategic approach to decommissioning
The first stage of any decommissioning project is to undertake an audit of all equipment , to ensure that all assets can be tracked throughout each step of the process . Implementing a strategic Asset Lifecycle Management ( ALM ) process will facilitate an accurate inventory of all assets , including servers , storage hardware , networking equipment , rack power distribution units ( PDUs ), patch panels and applications .
Each element on the ALM asset register is individually recorded and monitored , with regular updates on the age , performance and security protection status of each component . The key benefit of such surveillance is that it allows the teams to be aware in real-time of security vulnerabilities in their systems , and to identify any equipment that should be upgraded to optimise the data centre ’ s performance . For example , any piece of equipment that is no longer supported by its manufacturer with patch updates , poses a potential security risk and should be securely decommissioned . Only by implementing an ALM process can organisations ensure effective and compliant data security and protect themselves , their customers and stakeholders .
Establishing a secure , trusted and trackable chain of custody
From the time it is created until it is securely destroyed , a company ’ s data will be valuable to competitors and cybercriminals . The importance of protecting and securely erasing your data goes beyond the stage where an asset is in inventory .
Any asset leaving a customer ’ s possession should be placed in a secure , trusted and trackable chain of custody .
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