One of the easiest ways to find out valuable information about a company is to go through their rubbish or trash – this is known as Dumpster Diving.
Why Should You Destroy Media Securely?
Media contains your organization’s information. Unauthorized people should not have access to your organizations information at any time. When you throw something in the rubbish or waste paper bin you do not know where it can end up when it leaves your office.
Dumpster Diving
There are people out there who obtain illegal access to business premises and computer systems by finding out everything they can about the security and the business processes in place. They do this so they can steal information or assets, copy information or destroy information for a variety of reasons, such as:
- money (committing fraud, either paid or unpaid),
- seeking knowledge for competitor’s companies,
- malicious intent,
- disgruntlement with your corporate,
- and sometimes, just because they can.
One of the easiest ways to find out valuable information about a company is to go through their rubbish or trash – this is known as Dumpster Diving.
You have no control over what happens to your office rubbish when it leaves the building. It is really important for you to destroy the information on media before it is thrown out.
How To Destroy A Disk (Diskette)
The easiest way to dispose of media such as a disk or CD, if the contents on the disk or CD are highly sensitive, is destroy them.
If you do not have a Security Media Container in your office area and you only have one or two disks or CDs to destroy, follow the instructions below:
Step 1 Remove the metal or plastic slide on the base of the disk.
Step 2 Very carefully open up the casing of the disk and remove the little disk inside.
Step 3 Cut the plastic portion into strips around the whole disk (about 6 pieces should be enough).
How To Destroy A CD Rom And DVD
Step 1 Run scissors across both sides of the CD numerous times making scratches.
Step 2 Very carefully break the CD into pieces.
Note 1 This will help ensure that someone using specialist equipment cannot easily read the pieces.
Note 2 It is easier to break the CD by placing it in a piece of cloth – therefore protecting yourself from being cut.
Please be careful – do not cut yourself!
How To Destroy Computer Printouts
Computer printouts containing sensitive information such as financial reports, network diagrams and technical documentation should always be shredded in a cross cut shredder.
Less sensitive printouts should be torn in half and placed in secure waste containers.
At no time should printouts be placed in your office waste paper bin.
How To Destroy Cassettes And Tapes
Step #1: Remove The Outer Casing Carefully.
Step #2: Remove The Tape Inside And Cut Into Pieces.
Note Tape With Contents That Is Extremely Sensitive Should Be Shredded In A Cross-Cut Shredder. If You Do Not Have A Shredder
Together with the previous article about Internet security guidelines, this article and the next article about anti-spam security guidelines are also important for your organization to socialize. It would be extremely rare for you to receive pornography and other offensive hardcopy advertisements at home unsolicited, however Spam received via email often contains this type of material or information.
see also:
- Information security management
- business continuity and disaster recovery
- Sample of risk assessment security
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