UK firms receive helping hand to dispose of data responsibly

USB stick

IT leasing firm CSI Lifecycle Services has launched a mobile hard drive destruction service to help UK firms dispose of sensitive data stored on devices they no longer need.

Firms can hire CSI's Data Destruction Recycling Vehicle (DDRV) to come to their premises to shred their hard drives, tape media, mobile phones and CDs.

The vehicle contains two CESG-approved shredders that are used to whittle down storage devices and media to either 30mm or 6mm, depending on the company's requirements.

The service's launch comes hot on the heels of some research by The Information Commissioner's Office that revealed one in 20 second-hand hard drives contains recoverable data.

The DDRV is fitted with a video camera, which records the destruction of the devices, and a scanning device that logs the details of every item that is processed.

Barry Naylor, managing director of CSI, claimed the vehicle has already been commissioned for several jobs, and is also being evaluated for use by law firms and government bodies.

"We've all seen adverse reports in the press about data leakage and organisations can minimise their risk by ensuring sensitive information is destroyed," he added.

Caroline Donnelly is the news and analysis editor of IT Pro and its sister site Cloud Pro, and covers general news, as well as the storage, security, public sector, cloud and Microsoft beats. Caroline has been a member of the IT Pro/Cloud Pro team since March 2012, and has previously worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.