Problem:
For a major IT services provider operating in New Jersey, a massive technology upgrade was underway, designed to refresh desktop systems and introduce new applications to enhance public safety, human services, and workforce development. The critical issue was what to do with the thousands of old desktops and laptops and, more importantly, their hard drives and backup tapes containing highly sensitive government data. The old technology needed to be replaced in lockstep with the new systems arriving, creating an aggressive and complex schedule. The initial destruction and recycling partner simply couldn’t keep pace, leaving the customer in a difficult position regarding compliance and logistics. The core need was to render all data inaccessible before any media left its site, followed by certified destruction and responsible recycling.
Challenges:
The sheer scale and geographic dispersion of the project presented a formidable challenge. With over 100 sites scattered across New Jersey, each varying in the number of desktops, laptops, and tapes requiring disposition, a standardized yet flexible approach was essential. Stringent state mandates require on-site data destruction services to protect sensitive information. Furthermore, the client needed a robust, auditable process that tracked every drive and tape from pickup through final destruction, ensuring both data security and environmental compliance. The aggressive rollout schedule for the new technology necessitated a reliable, unobtrusive, and highly efficient data destruction process to minimize disruptions to ongoing government operations.
Results:
Revert stepped in with comprehensive planning and execution, proving its expertise and scalability. We designed a cost-effective plan to cover all 100+ sites over the course of a year, deploying a dedicated team to perform on-site degaussing of hard drives and tapes. A detailed process was established for controlling all disk drives and tapes via serial number, from degaussing through shipment to a local approved and certified facility for physical destruction and responsible recycling. Each state agency received serialized documentation for each asset, ensuring full auditability. Over 3.5 petabytes of sensitive data were secured and protected, confirming the customer met all state environmental and data privacy standards.