When hiring a new employee, companies typically go overboard for onboarding. They may have a standardized procedure that features friendly meetings with the right people, an introduction to company culture, and training for success. When an employee leaves, however, it seems like offboarding doesn’t get that same love.
Offboarded employees actually have a lot more value and impact than businesses think—other than having a voice to uplift or tarnish your brand, they also have access to sensitive data and company systems. Forgetting to revoke access and wipe company data from former employees’ personal devices can lead to serious security risks, something that can lead to significant consequences for the business.
What is Data Wipe?
Performing a data wipe is exactly what’s advertised—permanently erasing all data from a device or making digitally stored information completely inaccessible on a cloud system. The procedure usually involves backing up important information first, using specialized data-wiping software or services, overwriting that hard drive to confirm the wipe, and then performing a factory reset.
Not only do businesses better protect their data from cybercriminals and unauthorized access, but they also better comply with a variety of data protection regulations. Particularly if you operate in a sensitive industry like healthcare or finance, mandates like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are put in place so that sensitive data is disposed of after use. Fail to comply, and the business will face fines.
But who’s responsible for overseeing a data wipe?
Most organizations will have a dedicated IT department that’s responsible for handling IT hardware and ensuring the company consistently follows the right policies and procedures. In other cases, if they don’t have the resources available, they might outsource data wiping to a third-party vendor. These service providers often provide an all-in-one package for companies, with specialization in data security and the right processes in place for irreversible data wiping.
Offboarding and Data Wipe
Because offboarding and data wiping both signify the end of something, they have a closely linked relationship. When an employee is offboarded, companies perform the data wipe process so that their IT equipment can be decommissioned and repurposed for future hires.
No matter whether an employee is leaving on good terms or bad, data wiping is important to ensure they and third parties can’t access confidential information. As hardware is usually retired or reassigned, these procedures serve as protective measures. Making data wiping an integral part of your offboarding process demonstrates to your new employees and the rest of the company that data privacy is taken seriously. Other than the protection of information and improvement in security, it also safeguards your company’s reputation as a whole.
However, there are some instances where data wiping isn’t recommended. For devices that are passed around for ongoing business operations or carry active data backups, data wiping should be reconsidered or approached more carefully.
How Dots Platform Data Wipe Services Work for You When Offboarding
Without the know-how, your business might be able to stay compliant or successfully perform a data wipe that leaves no opportunity for a breach. Third-party services can help fill in the gaps and take the reins with specialized expertise. If you’re looking for offboarding-specific data wipe services, the Dots platform offers a comprehensive data wipe and smooth handover of IT equipment.
With Dots, every step of the offboarding process is accompanied by a professional, from when the IT hardware reaches its destination to when the data wipe is complete, and even storing your hardware in Dots warehouses around the world until your next onboard. These services are part of its broader ITAM asset management software, which features a world-class logistics network, IT equipment storage, and onboarding and offboarding—some of the most challenging and tedious aspects of IT management.
Streamline the Offboarding Process with Data Wipe on Dots Platform
Dots is a complete IT inventory management software that integrates onboarding and offboarding with IT automation, covering everything including procurement and storage. It’s an end-to-end solution that is designed to accommodate in-person, hybrid, and remote teams. Having dedicated software to manage all your IT assets will ensure nothing goes amiss, simplifying what can otherwise be complex IT management throughout the entire lifecycle.Interested in data wipe services and access to a complete IT asset management software? Book a demo with Dots today.
