Defence repurposes 110,000 devices in data sanitisation project

The Department of Defence has completed what is believed to be Australia’s largest technology asset disposal with more than 100,000 ICT devices repurposed.

The $5 million project, fulfilled IT asset management specialist Greenbox, is part of the Defence’s largest infrastructure program in over a decade.

Under this program, the department has replaced more than 111,000 mobile and desktop computers in the its latest project and is processing a further 90,000 devices including monitors, printers, networking equipment and servers.

Greenbox said on Tuesday that the sheer nature and volume of the initiative required a partnership that would guarantee all information remained protected and was effectively destroyed throughout the process.

Data from more than 200,000 devices has been securely destroyed.

The project was completed at Greenbox’s IT commissioning centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. These sites enable Greenbox to conduct up to 800 concurrent device wipes per facility, which has reduced the overall time to complete the project, the company said.

This is coupled with Defence-standard security, including hardened premises and personnel who are cleared and accredited.

Greenbox chair, Shane Mulholland, said the company provided Defence with a centralised approach to IT asset recovery by managing the project to a defined and carefully-documented standard to ensure assets were repurposed and the data they stored was permanently destroyed.

“By giving new life to the 110,000 technology assets, we kept 1,300 tons of materials out of landfill – enough to fill 80 shipping containers. Repurposing this equipment provides social rewards by making affordable equipment available to communities in need, while delivering financial returns,” he said.

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