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ERI's John Shegerian Calls Data Mining of Discarded Electronics a 'Significant Threat to National Security'
[September 27, 2016]

ERI's John Shegerian Calls Data Mining of Discarded Electronics a 'Significant Threat to National Security'


Citing a recent NBC Nightly News special report titled "How Supposedly-Deleted Personal Data Can Come Back to Haunt You," John Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation's leading recycler of electronic waste, has called hardware data security a "largely overlooked problem" and "significant threat to national security."

The NBC Nightly News segment featured a test of reporter Tom Costello's personal and financial data on his laptop. Costello personally "erased" and "wiped" the data from his device, but it took only about an hour for security experts to recover it - including bank statements and other personal documents.

Shegerian claims that the story is timely - and reveals what is only the 'tip of the iceberg' of the potential problems hadware hacking can lead to, because many organizations that claim to recycle electronics and destroy data are actually shipping the devices abroad.



"When a device is responsibly recycled here in the US, part of that process should always include complete, physical data destruction," said Shegerian. "Unethical and illegal shipping of e-waste abroad has become an additional layer to the hardware security issue because it leads to the wholesale liquidation of our national security and the security of the corporations and individuals of the United States. Recycling these devices is important, but it must be done the right way."

Shegerian also noted that ERI currently provides the only dually certified nationwide solution offering 100 percent guaranteed data destruction for consumer electronics devices, e-waste, and hardware.


For more information on general recycling and electronic data destruction needs, visit www.electronicrecyclers.com, www.Recyclenation.com, http://greenisgoodradio.com or www.urbanmining.org.

Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation's leading recycler of electronic waste and the world's largest IT asset disposition (ITAD) and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company, is certified to de-manufacture and recycle every type of electronic waste in an environmentally friendly manner. ERI processes more than 275 million pounds of electronic waste annually at eight locations, serving every zip code in the United States. For more information about e-waste recycling and ERI, call 1-800-ERI-DIRECT or visit www.electronicrecyclers.com.


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