Being vigilent about properly disposing of old equipment will assist you in protecting yourself from potential security breaches.

According to Tech Republic, “systems running software with high licensing costs are decommissioned, and system breakdowns lead to consolidation of functionality rather than repairs. This may increase the rate at which we dispose of computer equipment — and it can increase the expose us to security threats if we aren’t careful about how we do it.”

Source: Chad Perrin, Tech Republic. (April 21, 2011). “10 things you should do to properly dispose of computers”.