Secure Disposal of University-owned Computers & Digital Media

All University data along with any software licensed to the University must be securely removed prior to assets being disposed of.

Please be advised that if you are disposing of a computer containing University data and/or personal information, it is not enough to erase data by simply deleting the files on your hard drive. Surplus computers with University data need to be erased completely prior to disposal. If they are not, it is possible for a subsequent owner to reconstruct this data. This could potentially lead to the unintended disclosure of confidential University information or the inappropriate distribution of software licensed to the University.

All data on University-owned computers should be assumed to be potentially sensitive. Removable storage media such as floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, Zip disks, CompactFlash, etc. should not be passed on with equipment but should instead be securely erased, retained by the department or disposed of by secure means.

ICT strongly recommends the use of Darik's Boot And Nuke (DBAN). DBAN is a free, self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. The software and instructions are available on the DBAN website.

Additional Information

A number of units maintain additional information regarding the disposal of surplus equipment owned by the University.  Please visit their sites for further details:

• Office of the University Secretary - Policy regarding the Disposal of Surplus Assets
• Facilities Management Division - Surplus Equipment Disposal Procedures & Forms
• Campus Safety - Data Disposal Standard & Media Disposal Service