What Is Decommissioning?

Decommissioning is the process of removing an asset from a company’s network and properly disposing of it or recycling it while ensuring that no information can be retrieved from it. It’s a common practice when upgrading hardware components such as servers, laptops, and entire data centers. Failure to decommission an asset properly means it remains part of the company’s attack surface and leaves the business vulnerable to potential cyber attacks. Local, state, and federal regulations exist that specify proper decommissioning requirements for various types of IT assets.