Media and Device Disposal and Reuse

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Policy Number:
UW-505
Responsible Office:
Division of Information Technology (DoIT)

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Unauthorized access to restricted or sensitive data can have significant detrimental effects on individuals or the institution. There are laws, regulations, and contracts that require the university to protect certain types of information from unauthorized access.

When media or devices are disposed of or reused for a different purpose, unobscured restricted or sensitive data that is present is vulnerable to access by unauthorized persons.

Scope:

Applies to UW–Madison employees, contractors, and associates who are disposing of or reusing media or devices that contain UW–Madison restricted or sensitive data.

Policy:

  1. Policy

    1. UW–Madison employees, contractors, and associates must ensure that media or devices in their possession that contain restricted or sensitive data are adequately erased, obscured, destroyed, or otherwise rendered unusable before disposal, or adequately erased before reuse for another purpose.
    2. This includes electronic media and devices of all types, as well as paper and other non-electronic media.

  2. Enforcement

    1. UW–Madison employees who do not comply may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
    2. Contractors or associates who do not comply may be subject to penalty under the governing agreement. Compliance may be a consideration affecting new or renewed agreements.
Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Chief Information Officer & Vice Provost for Information Technology
Policy Manager:
Assistant Director, Cybersecurity Program and Business Services
Contact:
IT Policy Writer and Analyst -- Heather Johnston, HEATHER.JOHNSTON@WISC.EDU
Effective Date:
07-01-2009
Revised Dates:

04-09-2015

Reviewed Dates:

03/01/2019

Retrieved:
07-05-2025 18:39:21