Electronic items that have been retired from use still hold sensitive data for years to come. Hard drives, servers, laptops, backup storage devices, etc. might hold information that needs to be legally and ethically protected.

This presents risks associated with the time span between the asset removal from the company premises until the end of data destruction.

ITAD chain of custody helps mitigate such risks by controlling and overseeing the item throughout this time span.

Effective chain of custody process will document the item at the point of pickup, follow its transportation, monitor the processing of the item and connect the asset to its destruction and final disposition.

This way, the security team gets a better view of where the asset with sensitive information is at all times.

Such a procedure becomes even more important when the company uses several contractors and processors.

The ERI guide on chain of custody highlights the importance of knowing what happens to your electronics once they leave the organization and choosing partners that provide certifications and real-time asset tracking.

The itad chain of custody does not take away the need for safe data destruction; rather, it helps organizations track the equipment until destruction.

For companies that handle confidential information, this becomes a way of turning a risky transfer into a documented one.

Rather than having to rely on employees' assumptions about whether a vendor has managed the equipment well, it becomes possible to track its transfer and disposition.