Category

Business

Jul 02
0

Are Your Employees The Biggest Data Threat To Your Business?

By | Business, Data Destruction | No Comments

With the increasing prevalence of high profile data leaks, many businesses are becoming more and more conscious of the importance of data security to both the operation and reputation of their business.

Many people will assume that the most likely threat will come from super technologically advanced external hackers, who are accessing your information from the comfort of their secret location (bedroom?!), and are motivated by either a desire to expose your companies most confidential information, or with blackmail in mind.

However the majority of company directors will actually say that it is their employees that pose the greatest threat to their data security. Whether it be disgruntled employees trying to get their own back on the company, or simple human error (by far the most common of the two options), it is those who are actually supposed to have access to sensitive information that are the most likely to be the source of a leak.

So what are some of the steps that you can take to protect your company from the extremely negative consequences of a data leak?

Set rigorous protocols

The vast majority of employee based data leaks come from simple human error. So to avoid this ensure that you have simple yet stringent procedures and protocols in place and ensure that people stick to them – often simple systems such as getting someone else to do a final check can catch any mistakes before they happen.

Ensure that you data is fully encrypted

There are many systems out there these days that can very sophistically encrypt data to ensure that even if it can be accessed it can’t actually be read. Also think about taking steps such as regularly changing passwords of using two-step authentication processes when people are logging into data.

Don’t forget data destruction

It can be easy to spend all of your time thinking about how to protect the data that your company holds whilst you are using it, however a vital consideration is what happens to data once you no longer need it, or once the hardware that you are storing it on is ready for an upgrade?

In the latter case engaging the services of a specialist computer recycling and data destruction company is paramount. Companies such as Buy IT Back can take your old computers, servers and other IT and telecoms equipment and using government certified data destruction software, completely eradicate any remaining data, before then reconditioning either the whole unit or it’s component parts to be sold on, or recycling any other parts to the highest environmental standards. And the best thing – they can actually pay you for doing this!

To find out more contact Buy IT Back today.

Dec 19
0

Are You Upgrading Over Christmas?

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling | No Comments

With the wind down to the long Christmas break already upon us, many companies, businesses and organisations are planning on taking advantage of the holiday shut down to implement some much needed upgrades to their IT equipment and other electronics.

If you are one of these companies, have you thought about what to do with your soon to be redundant equipment?

There are many companies out there who offer a IT equipment recycling service. They will often come and collect your old equipment and take it away, before ensuring that any remaining data is securely erased. The equipment will then be stripped down and its components either reused or recycled, usually to the very highest of ecological standards.

However, whilst knowing that your old equipment will be being dealt with professionally and responsibly you will, also, being pay handsomely for this service.

However if you simply contact Buy IT Back we will take your old IT, computer and other electronic equipment, completely and irreversibly delete your data and then ensure that the equipment is recycled to the highest environmental standards and being fully compliant with current WEEE regulations – and we will pay you to do this!

As Buy IT Back are experts in electronic component reselling and recycling we are able to offset the cost of processing your redundant IT equipment and pass these profits on to you.

So if you want your company or organisation to start the new year with both a set of shiny new IT equipment and some shiny pounds in your pocket, then contact Buy IT Back today.

Mar 01
0

5 tips for choosing a computer recycling business

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling | No Comments

During recent years, the recycling sector has grown significantly. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of computer recycling businesses operating in the market. So, how do you choose the company that’s right for you?

Here are five tips to consider when choosing a computer recycling business.

1. Professionalism and experience

When disposing or recycling old equipment there are a number of critical considerations to be taken into account, so you should choose a company that has a great deal of experience in this area. For over 25 years, our team at Buy IT Back have provided expert advice and successfully delivered solutions in computer recycling. Our proven track record means we have a large and varied customer base who use our services time and time again.

2. Legislation and accreditation credentials

Check that the computer recycling business you are considering employing has the requisite practices and accreditations in place. Our team of experts ensure we fully comply with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2007. Plus, we have achieved certifications from the Environment Agency for our waste and pollution services, to minimise the impact on the environment.

3. Data security measures

As the use of technology grows, so does the increase in cyber crime, so all data must be disposed of in a safe and secure manner. Consider the methods used by companies when they discuss how they would delete your old and unwanted data. At Buy IT Back we offer on- or off-site hard disk drive (HDD) shredding with full certification, which adheres to the HMG Infosec5 Enhanced Standard and above.

4. Financial benefits

Take into consideration the data deletion, collection and logistics costs quoted by the company and whether you will receive any money in return for your old kit. At Buy IT Back we will assess your old equipment and provide you with a competitive quote for its disposal or recycling. In a nutshell, our distinctive cashback offer means we can provide you with money for your old kit giving you an extra financial boost for your business.

5. Network coverage

The location of your business premises may be a key factor in avoiding expensive logistical and transportation costs. From our headquarters in Essex we are well placed to service London and the South East, whilst we also using our wider network to provide buy back solutions across the UK.

How we can help

Contact us today to find out why Buy IT Back should be your first choice for all your computer recycling needs.

Feb 26
0

Keep Your Business Green in 2015

By | Business, Computer Recycling, Server Recycling | No Comments

There are many ways in which you can make your business eco-friendly and keep corporate social responsibility at the heart of everything you do. With a new year already well under way what are you doing to keep your business green in 2015? Here are some tips to consider adding to your business’ green strategy.

Write a Green Policy

One way to really show your business’ commitment to green ethics and sustainability is to have a set-in-stone green policy, which you either get your employees to sign or at least distribute copies of. It could be very basic and simply state your commitment to environmental conscientiousness or it could be that you lay out the rules from turning off equipment after use or recommendations for car sharing and bicycle schemes you may have setup. The idea of a green policy is simply to give your employees, new and existing, a clear and defined message that this commitment to eco-conscious behaviour is long term and a central aspect of your business’ ethos.

Switch to Greener Cleaning Products

Even your office needs cleaning regularly and rather than opting for traditional toxic cleaning products, why not opt for greener alternatives? Many cleaning companies now offer eco-friendly and natural cleaning products and though there may be a slight increase in cost the benefits to your health, reduction in allergic reactions and a healthier working environment, as well as planet, are worth it.

Trade with Green Partners

Opting for green vendors to work alongside your business furthers your commitment to eco-friendly and environmental conscientiousness beyond the walls of your offices. Look into the companies you work with and when looking for new partners, choose companies who have a dedicated commitment to sustainability and the same kind of outlook as you’re developing for your company. Consider working with energy efficient vehicle manufacturers for your company cars for example.

Keep Recycling your IT

Having a dedicated IT recycling partner means your business can always ensure old equipment is responsibly handled and this goes beyond just PCs and monitors. Buy IT Back offer extensive IT recycling services including server recycling, printers and scanners.

Our service is designed to ensure your office has a reliable partner who not only recycles your old equipment according to government guidelines, also buys it from you rather than simply taking it off your hands, ensuring your recoup some capital from the replacement of equipment in your workplace.

Nov 22
0

Reclaim the value of your Redundant IT Equipment

By | Business | No Comments

It doesn’t take long for IT equipment to be out of date. You may have bought brand new equipment when you first opened your offices but how long ago was that? What was once top of the range and may have cost you a significant amount often isn’t up to speed within 10 or even 5 years. The value of your redundant equipment isn’t zero however and there are professional ways and means of ensuring that your equipment is disposed of safely, responsibly and you get a percentage of its worth back.

Upgrading your Offices

When it’s time to upgrade your office then the process of removing all the old equipment, whether that’s computers, TFTs, scanners or even server hardware, can’t just consist of getting a skip and throwing it out. The WEEE regulations in the UK and Europe don’t allow this kind of disposal and you have to follow very specific guidelines to ensure every piece of equipment is handled the way it should be.

Buy IT Back specialise in professionally and responsibly recycling your old IT equipment and ensuring all guidelines are met and you don’t have to worry about whether you’re staying on the right side of the law. Our services are designed for businesses of all sizes and we ensure that your equipment is properly assessed, inventoried and the right price is given for the volume of goods you pass onto us. We are more than happy to take on all kinds of equipment including server hardware, quality branded computer equipment, telecoms and networking equipment and whatever redundant office equipment you have, it’s worth getting in touch with us.

What happens to your Equipment?

Once Buy IT Back has your equipment we ensure it is processed efficiently and following the latest WEEE guidelines. We offer your business the chance to maximise the return cash you receive by reselling the equipment wherever possible or selling it for parts where not and we ensure that all the recycling and reselling we do complies 100% to the agreed standard set out by the EU and in turn ensure certification is provided for your company records, guaranteeing that you have the protection required to prove your WEEE is disposed of correctly.streaming Beauty and the Beast movie

Is it Upgrade Time?

Once you realise it’s time to upgrade your office equipment you will soon see the benefits of recycling your old equipment for cash because that ensures you get something back for the old equipment which you can put towards your new equipment budget. We work to ensure you get as much value for your equipment as possible, giving you a great start to move forward from. Contact us today if you want to move forward with your IT equipment recycling.

Oct 17
0

Your Business’ Green Corporate Social Responsibility

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling | No Comments

Corporate social responsibility has become central to many businesses infrastructure. It’s important to show how your business is playing a role in the wider community and how it is accepting its social responsibilities. One of the largest elements of your business’ corporate social responsibility is recycling and though computer recycling is a legal requirement, it’s very easy to do the bare minimum and neglect what could be a key element of your business.

Below are some ways of building your company’s green corporate social responsibility.

Optimise Energy Settings

Most UK work places require computers to function and they can be the biggest consumers of energy in the workplace. Optimise the energy settings on each machine, make it company policy to have energy saving settings in us at all times and ensure a proper shut down at the end of the night. You could do this via the fitting of a power trip or you could simply place trust in your employees. Older computer equipment is unlikely to be efficient and therefore, recycling computers and hardware should be high on your agenda to ensure you have the best possible equipment in terms of energy efficiency as well as general effectiveness.

Go Digital

The more you can digitise, the better. It means you can reduce the need for physical equipment and even trade in your equipment for a cash incentive and make more space. If you choose to utilise cloud storage and services for examples you can recycle servers and related hard drives and hardware in your office. Buy IT Back also ensures that all data from your hardware is permanently erased and your equipment is wiped clean before it is repurposed or recycled.

Be Paper Sensible

There will be things in your office which do require printing but you can still keep your green credentials at the heart of this. You can opt for refillable ink cartridges and you can also look out for paper which has a high percentage of post-consumer content and minimal chlorine bleaching. These are all ethical decisions but more than this, you can avoid printing anything you don’t specifically need to print.

Green Commute

You can begin your green ethics before you even set foot in the office. Cycle, car share or use public transport and you’re setting an example to your employees about the importance of their carbon footprint. You could even go as far as opting for an eco-friendly car or instating an employee cycle programme where bikes can be bought at a discounted price.

These are just some ways your company can work on its green credentials and incorporating them into your general strategy shouldn’t be too difficult.

Jul 30
0

Employees the Biggest Threat to Data Security

By | Business, Data Destruction, News, Uncategorized | No Comments

The risk of data leaking from the business is one of the biggest fears of many managers and directors buy generic antabuse. Great lengths and protective measures are gone to, to ensure data is protected but a new survey by PHS Data Solutions has shown that the biggest threat to data security, in the case of their study in the public sector, is employees.

The study took on board the opinions of 141 senior public sector managers and related staff and 83% of them stated that employees were the biggest threat to the security of data of all. The study shows how people fear their colleagues more than external hackers and the risks of data security from equipment being incorrectly handled or recycled didn’t seem to factor at all in the results.

A spokesperson for the company who commissioned the survey highlighted the point that ‘internal shredding and storage can increase the risk of records being saved or destroyed incorrectly’ and it is statements like this which add weight to the argument that innovations like cloud computing and off-site data storage solutions are future.

Further than this data security is a key element in the computer recycling business. As the statement above suggests on-site data and hard drive shredding isn’t as safe as using a secure and professional service off-site and therefore opting for a professional is essential. Buy IT Back offers a secure data security and removal service, ensuring all equipment which is given to us for recycling purposes is wiped clean and there is no risk of any data being passed onto future users of the equipment.

Buy IT Back’s data security service involves using the government approved software package Blancco for the removal of all data from hard drives in computers given to us through our recycling service. There is also the further option of hard drive shredding in instances where this is required.

Buy IT Back simply require an asset form for a free evaluation of old equipment and any equipment handed over is done for a fee and then it is recycled or repurposed in a range of different ways. No data will be involved in the recycling or repurposing as it will all be completely cleared to guarantee leaks are removed. The only problem left for businesses then is to decide how their data will be protected in the future and whether a move to the cloud is imminent. Secure information may need to be accessed readily by employees but it should be stored in a way which is unable to be copied, transferred or used in a way which could adversely affect the business.

May 02
0

Data Protection and your Business

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling, Data Destruction | No Comments

Business data protection exists to ensure customer details, sensitive financial information, sales figures and any other key business information is kept secure and protected. Your company’s data is probably its most valuable asset so legal protection for it is understandable.

Good business data protection ensures information is kept safe and should mean that you comply with all relevant data protection rules and legislation. Your business needs to have good protection in place but also needs safeguards in place in case of a breach.

Data Protection Regulations

The Data Protection Act 1998 is the relevant legislation that your business will need to pay attention to. It applies to all information stored about living individuals and as a business you must follow these specific steps to ensure you are compliant:

  • Tell the Information Commissioner’s Office that you process data
  • Explain to customers/clients how you store their data and give them access to it
  • Give the option of opting out of data being used
  • Maintain the data ensuring it is up to date and secure
  • Only store information for as long as it is required

Good Business Data Protection

To ensure you avoid breaches to the security of your data good business data protection should be practiced. The first step is to identify a secure space for the storage of all your data. This could be on internal network, a cloud storage option or even on business hard drives.

The second step that matters is keeping all your data 100% accurate and up to date. Outdated records are no more useful than having no data at all so a procedure for maintaining and reviewing records should be in place. Duplication’s should also be regularly checked for as mailing customers twice can result in annoyance and unnecessary costs.

As a business you must have procedures in place to ensure data protection breaches are avoided wherever possible, particular when sensitive data is involved. Below are some key measures to consider.

Secure Storage

Limit access user levels to secure data, ensuring only people who genuinely need access to the data are able to view it.

Monitor Data Release

Take precautions with the release of data. This relates to ensuring security checks are carried out before sharing data with customers via the phone or face to face.

Encrypt before Transferring

All data should be securely encrypted before transferring outside of your business. Limiting the risk of leaks.

What happens when you no longer need the data?

There are many instances where you may no longer need customer data or have moved the data elsewhere and need it erased from old hardware. Computer recycling London companies and those across the UK can choose from often includes secure data erasure.

Data erasure ensures no trace of data is left on any hardware you maybe choosing to sell on and hard disc shredding is another option many businesses consider for complete peace of mind.

Data protection breaches can cause a significant negative impact to your business, especially if it was clear there were measures you could have put in place to limit their impact. Ensuring you treat your data with respect and handle it securely, will provide further protection for your business.

Mar 19
0

The Importance of Data Security and Protection for your Business

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling, Data Destruction | No Comments

Your business’ data is one of its most valuable assets. It is what connects you to your client base and often they have placed a high degree in trust in you to allow you to keep their data on your files. This means you have to shadowsocks respect it, you have to keep it secure and even if it’s time for an upgrade of your equipment or office space you have to securely and completely ensure every piece of hardware no longer in use is completely clear of all data.

A breach of data security is one sure-fire way to lose a considerable chunk of your customer base. Whether you’re updating all your computer equipment or simply moving from a traditional service to cloud-based storage, the old equipment needs to be recycle and the data, erased completely.

The Risk of Security Breach

Even the smallest piece of data could be enough to affect your customers or employees. Something as seemingly innocuous as an Outlook address book could be used in a malicious way in the wrong hands and therefore should be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

You should be regularly running wipes on all employee computers to ensure data that is used regularly but doesn’t need to be stored on the machine is removed immediately. This will help the machines work more effectively but also further ensures you’re treating client data with the confidentiality it deserves.

Asking employees and even utilising your IT staff to remove data from the computers is just the start however as approved software is the best option. At Buy It Back we use Blancco. Blancco holds a 100% date erasure certification procedure which entirely wipes hard drives to CESG standards – ensuring not even a single megabyte of data remains on the hard drive.

Professional Data Security and Erasure

Utilising a professional company who regularly carry out data erasure gives you the peace of mind you need for your business and your customers. Our professionals perform full hard drive wiping as well as recycling and reselling the hardware. All hardware we buy from you will be checked and in most cases resold, ensuring you get some cash back to put towards new equipment or use for your business in any way you see fit.

Data erasure comes as standard but if you’re looking for a different service there is also the option of hard drive shredding, if your company policy dictates this is necessary. All our hard drive shredding services come with certification as a batch or serial numbers for individual items.

Taking your business to the next level and keeping your equipment up to date is essential but ensure your disposal process is secure enough to protect your customers’ data and security rights.

Mar 05
0

Moving Offices? Use an IT Recycling Specialist for the Best Return

By | Business, Computer Disposal, Computer Recycling | No Comments

Moving into a new office space usually corresponds with an upgrade of hardware, systems and servers. Transferring your old equipment is usually a thankless task and you soon find it’s redundant anyway.

Moving office and upgrading at the same time makes good business sense but any canny business person will also recognise to keep costs down. Utilising a specialist IT hardware recycling company ensures you get the best return on your old equipment and you comply with your corporate legal obligations.

Trade In before Trading Up

There is always the option of trading in your equipment with its manufacturer or opting for a dealership. Both these options are commonly used but often leave you in a worse financial position than when you started! The key problems with trade ins include:

  • Being tied to one manufacturer – if you opt for a manufacturer trade in then you’re entirely limited to their branded products which may not be ideal for your new premises’ needs
  • Less for your cash – trade ins typically result in less back for your goods than choosing to sell your items via a dedicated IT buy back scheme
  • Less choice in equipment – as well as being tied into a manufacturer as above you also have a limit when it comes to the quality of equipment available to you. You may find wanting to trade up will also result in higher premiums than you were hoping for
  • Not fit for purpose – a trade in is only a good idea if you’re moving to the same types of equipment. For example, you may be hoping to trade in your oversized on-site server because you’re moving to Cloud Computing and this simply isn’t a possible trade in!

Benefits of IT and Electronic Recycling Specialists

Choosing to have your old IT hardware and equipment handled by a professional IT and electronic recycling specialist will guarantee better results. The methods used by specialist companies like ourselves guarantee the best possible return as we work to resell equipment before any other methods – getting you a higher financial reward.

In addition to this there is no swap involved – if you want to recycle your server then this can be handled and data of course will be securely erased before the data centre is resold, generating a return income for yourself to put towards your new equipment.

Ensuring your old equipment finds a new home, whether broken down for parts, or reused in its current state is a legal obligation and utilising a third party IT recycling specialist guarantees you meet these requirements too.

Providing IT Hardware, Data Security, Recycling & Residual Value Solutions For Over 30 Years Since 1992