3 Reasons to Shred Your Old Tech

When your hard drive quits or storage drive becomes null-and-void, it’s easy to just pile all of it up in a corner or back room. You promise to attend to it later, but you never really get around to it. Or worse, you toss it in the trash as-is so you never have to look at it again. Maybe you wipe it first, or maybe you just hope that the password protection will be enough. However, consider what’s on a busted piece of technology. What kind of password lists or files are waiting to be discovered by a criminal who considers themselves the Indiana Jones of identity theft? We’ll look at why you should shred your old tech and who can help you out when you don’t know what to do with all your old devices. 

What Gets Stolen From Old Hard Drives

The top reason for hard drive destruction is to keep your information from a thief. This includes anything from salary information to medical details to financial accounts. Even your purchasing history is likely something that you want to keep secret. The fact of the matter is that you never know what criminals want — or what they’re willing to go through to get it. Many people will reset their computers or wipe them and assume that’s enough to keep criminals at bay. While it would take some effort to access your files, though, it can be done if that’s the criminal’s goal. To be fair, most thieves will go after an easy target, but some will take the roadblock as a challenge to get to the pot of gold beneath. 

Recycling Old Technology

Another reason for old technology destruction is that it’s better for the environment. Instead of letting it sit in a landfill, you can give it to a professional shredder who will destroy the device and recycle it properly. Experts recommend having a strategy in place for when tech starts to show signs of wear and tear. For instance, a commercial business might want to start replacing their tech when employees start to show signs of frustration. A business owner should also be concerned about the compliance standards in their industry. It may not even be legal to continue using technology that is older than a certain date. An individual might choose to upgrade their laptop every three years so it can handle the next set of upgrades. 

Contact Gilmore 

The last reason for old technology recycling is because it simply makes sense. It allows you to clean out your old stuff to make room for new stuff. It also means that you don’t have to worry about what a hacker will do if they’re determined to break into your information. At Gilmore, our job is to ensure that you can actually follow-through on your mission to protect yourself without allowing countless pieces of technology accumulate in your home or business. We believe that your data deserves the utmost respect and care. If you want to recycle old tech, we give you total peace of mind. Contact us to learn more about our data destruction, scanning, moving, management, storage, or tech shredding services.