An area that gets overlooked often is the proper disposal of computers once they have become obsolete. It is important to point out that from a legal point of view, in most industrialized areas it is illegal to simply throw away an old computer or monitor due to environmental reasons (PCs and Monitors contain high quantities of lead, mercury, and PVC plastics, all of which are considered toxins). However, from a security point of view, throwing away a computer is extremely dangerous. Even a hard drive that has had all the files deleted before it is thrown away can provide volumes of information to a knowledgeable individual. Secure deletion is the only way outside of physically destroying the hard drive.

In organizations that take their security to the highest level, all information that is no longer required is shredded and then burned to ashes in an incinerator. That is truly making sure that sensitive information is being disposed effectively.