How will i-SIGMA continue to enhance secure information lifecycle management? Glenn Laga weighs in on the trends that the Guardian Data Destruction team has identified in eMedia data destruction to enhance a strong industry organization.
i-SIGMA (International Secure Information Governance & Management Association) is the global trade association for secure information lifecycle management. The i-SIGMA Board of Directors manages the most recognized and accepted electronic data-security vendor-compliance standards: the NAID AAA Certification program.
i-SIGMA and Guardian Data Destruction
Guardian has been NAID AAA Certified for eMedia data destruction (hard drive shred, hard drive wiping, erasure, degaussing and more) since 2013, our active engagement in the industry doesn’t stop there.
- In 2016, with support from i-SIGMA (formerly NAID – the National Association for Information Destruction) and the Commerce and Industry Association of NJ (CIANJ), another strong business organization focused on New Jersey business development, Guardian Data Destruction was instrumental in passing NJ legislation permitting onsite data destruction in New Jersey.
- Glenn Laga, Guardian President and Co-founder, was elected to the NAID Board of Directors in 2016. His three-year term was hallmarked by the increase in electronic and eMedia education to ensure high data destruction security and compliance standards across the US for all industries.
- i-SIGMA’s annual conference is an active setting for learning, making industry connections, bridging the gap between paper and electronic media data destruction providers, seeing new equipment and exchanging information. Guardian employees are frequent speakers, panel experts and the company is an annual exhibitor.
→ Read More: Top 5 Data Destruction Trends and Takeaways from the (NAID) i-SIGMA Conference 2022
i-SIGMA Board of Directors 2023
Glenn Laga was recently asked to run for the 2023 President-Elect seat for i-SIGMA’s Board of Directors. Each candidate was asked four questions as part of the election process. As an industry leader, with almost twenty years of experience in shredding, destroying and erasing hard drives, SSDs and tape drives, Glenn’s responses are a direct result of trends and concerns we’re seeing in the field today:
i-SIGMA Board of Directors Candidate Question #1: Why do you want to serve on the i-SIGMA board of directors?
“As a candidate for President-Elect on the i-SIGMA Board of Directors, I have strong feelings about serving the organization and the data destruction industry.
NAID AAA Certification is the most recognized and highly regarded professional designation in the electronic data destruction industry. The data security and safety best practices that i-SIGMA establishes enable worldwide trust from all industries and standards. As a tier of excellence within the i-SIGMA membership, the AAA Certification adds immediate process and operational credibility to practicing service providers, members, and the industry.
Twenty years of building an e-Data destruction company give me a perspective on the evolution and growth of paper to media data destruction. With forward thinking and input from our members and vendors, we can see what’s needed to move forward as data storage technology is miniaturized and embedded into increasingly complex hardware architecture. My goal as president-elect is to be ahead of the curve with i-SIGMA awareness, requirements and policies for data safety and security.“
i-SIGMA Board of Directors Candidate Question #2: Of all the challenges facing the industry, which one or two do you feel is most important for i-SIGMA to confront?
“As a candidate for President-Elect on the i-SIGMA Board of Directors, I feel there are two essential focuses – the government and end users.
- Increase our bandwidth within the federal government to be actively involved and guide new legislation governing data security, data destruction and compliance.
- Create awareness of the importance of i-SIGMA standards, processes and certification for the end user.“
i-SIGMA Board of Directors Candidate Question #3: Considering i-SIGMA’s current list of programs and member benefits, are there any you feel the association should provide more education?
“As a candidate for President-Elect on the i-SIGMA Board of Directors, continuing technical education is needed to recognize the evolving electronic data form factor. We see this on site almost daily with critical data storage being missed in audits and data destruction due to a reliance on software and inaccurate inventory recordkeeping. As data destruction providers, we’re often at the tail-end of technology and not up to date on compact, onboard, hidden and integrated data storage options including M.2, SATADOMS, and PCIE.“
→ Recommended reading: CASE STUDY: Think you have an air-tight data destruction plan? How we found 18,000 GB of unknown, unidentified and unrecorded server data storage in a 1-day audit.
→ Recommended reading: Worried about cybersecurity? Add overlooked data storage on retired enterprise IT devices to your IT asset disposition process
i-SIGMA Board of Directors Candidate Question #4: If elected to the board, what will be your top priorities for increasing the association’s value to members and their clients?
“As a candidate for President-Elect on the i-SIGMA Board of Directors, I believe we should enhance member and certification benefits. The priority should be to enhance the value of membership with access to more training and educational resources, exclusive networking opportunities and discounts on products and services.
Increased efforts must be made to strengthen i-SIGMA’s reputation for processes and security. A strong reputation will increase the value of the association to members, clients and legislative partners focused on secure and compliant data destruction. This can be achieved through effective branding, marketing, and public relations strategies that showcase the association’s strengths, achievements, and contributions to the industry.“
i-SIGMA President-Elect 2023
We congratulate Gina Lentine, current i-SIGMA Board Secretary and paper shredding strategist for the legal industry, on her new position as President-elect for i-SIGMA. Glenn Laga is delighted, “Gina has a long record of NAID and i-SIGMA activity and volunteerism. As a specialist in paper shredding in the New York area, she is well aware of the challenges facing all industries, not just law practices, especially as data storage moves from paper to the cloud. I’m looking forward to working with her and the rest of the 2023 Board of Directors.”
A NAID AAA Certified data destruction provider is the best and last line of defense
When it comes to data security, data privacy and data destruction, hiring a data destruction provider that knows what they’re doing and can prove it is the only option for businesses concerned about data breaches and a defensible chain of custody.
At Guardian Data Destruction, our mandate is to find data and destroy it. Written processes, twenty years of experience, chain of custody requirements and certifications like i-SIGMA’s AAA NAID Certification are just the start when it comes to IT asset disposition.
If you’re a VAR, ITAD or IT reseller seeking a data destruction partner that is focused on delivering cost-effective, comprehensive hard drive sanitization, contact us. Better yet, visit us at the i-SIGMA Annual Conference, March 30-31 – Booth 418.
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