Data Creation is Growing, What Does That Mean for the Data Security Industry?
At first glance, the rise in data seems like an action performed by larger corporations rather than the average consumer. But by now, even average households have incorporated “Smart” assistants and IoT devices that help daily life become more efficient, and simultaneously, ramp up data growth. The truth is, it’s been predicted that in 2025 alone, the world will store 200 Zettabytes of data. For an easy computing example, “a zettabyte is a unit of digital information storage or data size, which is equal to 1 sextillion bytes.”
Every single office, organization and industry has IT Assets and they are being upgraded faster than ever. When a laptop, server or other IT device gets exchanged for a new one, what happens next isn’t always clear.
The United States produces about 3.2 Million Tons of e-waste annually, and only 17% of that is currently being recycled. Essentially, the more e-waste that ends up in the landfill, the more risk to the environment and the people processing our e-waste in unregulated ways.
With data rapidly growing and devices rapidly being replaced, what exactly does that mean for businesses in the data security sector? Businesses can leverage this increase by extending into new markets, expanding their services, and creating new strategies for how to deal with the inevitable creation of e-waste.
Expand into Different Markets
It is imperative that every organization and company, in every industry, find secure ways to manage and dispose of sensitive, obsolete, and redundant data on devices ranging from servers to smartphones.
If you are a service provider in the data security industry, define any new target markets you could consider because every industry has IT assets they need to dispose. Such as:
- Any business office, corporation, small or large
- Government agencies and prime contractors
- Educational institutions
- Healthcare
- Data Centers
Expand or Diversify Services
The demand for IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services will only continue to increase as data creation continues to grow. A proactive approach to this sudden boom will be for service providers to begin looking into expanding the services they offer. Perhaps your paper shredding company will begin collecting Hard Drives, or Solid-State drives. Maybe your company already deals with simple recycling services and wants to dive into higher volume projects like decommissioning data centers or securely eliminating the data within the many different IoT devices. Secure destruction devices, like NSA-listed degaussers and destroyers, are essential for properly handling the wide variety of data-bearing devices entering the e-waste stream.
Whatever you decide you must consider regulatory compliances and additional training as well as learning about the different types of data bearing and non-data bearing devices and their respective ways to be dealt with at end-of-life.
A Circular Economy through Responsible Hardware Refresh & Sustainability
Unfortunately, the rise in data also comes at the expense of the rise in e-waste. But it doesn’t have to be the norm. Businesses can invest in becoming certified in the responsible reuse, recycle and refurbishment practices that feed the circular economy. Rather than the traditional take, make, dispose model, the circular economy aims to eliminate e-waste and expand the life of every single piece of material that makes a device. Because we all have an important part to play in the future of our planet, setting yourself apart from the competition by becoming sustainable or adopting eco-friendly practices is not only a positive change, but can help bring in new business.
At Data Security, Inc.®, our Degausser Take-Back program provides a secure and environmentally responsible way to recycle outdated and unused equipment.
Every data security industry service provider has the opportunity to innovate and expand into ITAD, protecting the environment, delivering value to your clients and driving business growth. We can help you take the first step toward securing your or your customers’ physical data today.
Give us a call at 1 (800) 225-7554, or reach out to us. We’ll guide you through best practices for securely destroying your physical media. Together, we can protect your data and safeguard your reputation.
Originally published: November 18, 2025