Every year, millions of tons of electronics are thrown away. Not only does this harm the environment and hurt recycling efforts, but it also puts our digital security at risk.
If you don’t recycle your electronics, they will end up in landfills or as “e-waste,” which consists of a multitude of items: computers, monitors, printers, etc.
This e-waste concerns companies that buy e-waste from consumers. The company then recovers the materials inside and recycles them (usually). In some cases, however, it is sold to third-party recyclers who sell the materials in their raw state, often to overseas facilities that will use the materials as raw material to make plastic products.
Many companies today are producing millions of pieces of electronic equipment each year. The vast majority of these products do not contain hard drives or other storage devices, which either get recycled or thrown away after a few years. However, some electronics can contain hard drives, which pose a huge risk to the environment when they are discarded improperly.
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is a term that is used to describe the protection of network infrastructure, network devices, and the data and information stored in those devices. In today’s digital world, almost everything is digital, putting more and more data at risk. That is why tapping into resources such as cyber security in Denver and other related support, is available for businesses who want to tackle any security issues that have the potential to get into their systems by doing an audit and assessment.
Cybersecurity has become a major issue in today’s world, where many companies and individuals are falling victim to cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity breaches can have serious consequences. They can render consumers’ personal information vulnerable, which can be a serious issue in terms of identity theft and credit card fraud. Due to cyber threats, companies might adopt additional resources to secure their data by incorporating attribute based access control, monitoring activities, data lake governance, etc. This could help, but while disposing of e-waste, a few aspects might still need to be considered about data protection to negate all dangers.
What is E-waste?
The term “e-waste” refers to discarded electrical or electronic equipment that is considered hazardous waste due to the toxicity of its contents. E-waste includes computers, televisions, cell phones, cameras, and other devices containing hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants (BFRs).
Cybersecurity Risks of E-Waste
Last month, a team of researchers from the University of New Hampshire determined that many e-waste recycling companies in the United States dispose of hard drives containing malware. Their research also found that much of the equipment being recycled was stolen from computer repair shops, which are often targets of criminals. This raises questions over the security of the recycling process since it involves handling sensitive electronics without the knowledge of the local authorities.
Due to the recent surge in development and spread of technology, we are now facing the risk of releasing a lot of e-waste into the environment, and the consequences of this may be dire. For example, there are many security risks associated with the illegal dumping of electronic waste, including the possibility of hacking and extortion.
Here are the Security Risks of E-Waste:
- Hacking
Hacking is a term that refers to the malicious act of breaching a computer system or network without permission. The term hacking is often used in the media in a wide variety of contexts, including as a synonym for breaking into a computer system or network and for illegal and unauthorized use of computer access or computer network access. As a general term, hacking can refer to the act of modifying a system in a way that violates its basic integrity, for example, by installing a Trojan horse and possibly allowing unauthorized access.
Another serious threat is sensitive data being exposed as a result of e-waste. This makes it vulnerable to hacking. More often than not, e-waste may contain sensitive information stored on computers, for instance. And this information can contain personal or financial data. Now, Improper disposal of these devices without adequately erasing or destroying data can lead to data breaches and identity theft. If firms were to employ risk assessment measures, then they could identify and address data security risks associated with e-waste disposal. They can even leverage the help of cybersecurity experts like FRSecure in order to clear the hardware of any sensitive data before disposing it.
- Extortion
Extortion has been around for a long time and uses several different mechanisms to extract money from businesses. There are many types of extortion, and some of the most common involve blackmail, “bribery,” information leaks, and even public humiliation. Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new methods to exploit businesses
- Data Breach, Loss, or Theft
The dark side of the data storage business is that there is a growing number of companies collecting and storing personal data about consumers. Additionally, if sensitive online data such as business information falls in the wrong hands, you may get into a very serious problem. In such a situation, your company’s project, concept, assets, and other intellectual property can be replicated and used, which can cause heavy losses to your business. However, to manage the circumstances, you can look for a copyright infringement lawyer to file a lawsuit and get appropriate compensation for the damage.
The line between security and security risk is blurred when it comes to the internet of things (IoT). While the goal of IoT is to make the world a safer place, there’s also the potential for a lot of harm to come from hackers who exploit the devices we throw away after we’re done with them.