📰 Reesy Neff on Why End-of-Life IT Equipment Deserves More Attention
Many businesses have a familiar e-recycling problem they rarely talk about. Old computers stacked in a storage room. Retired servers sitting in a locked closet. Hard drives no one wants to touch because no one is quite sure what to do with them.
In the Lancaster Chamber’s 2025/2026 Winter Issue of Thriving, Omega ECycles founder Reesy Neff addresses this issue head-on. Her article highlights a risk that often goes unnoticed: the cyber security and environmental danger posed by end-of-life IT equipment that never actually leaves the building.
Her message is simple but urgent. That quiet corner full of unused devices is not harmless. It is a liability.
🔐 The Hidden Risk of IT Equipment “Graveyards”
Reesy opens her article with a question many organizations would answer honestly with “yes.” Do you have a graveyard of old IT equipment sitting in a closet or storage area?
For many companies, this equipment stays put because leaders know better than to throw electronics in the trash, but they are unsure what the next step should be. The assumption is often that inactive devices pose little risk.
That assumption is wrong.
According to Reesy, unused computers, servers, and hard drives can represent a serious cyber security threat. These devices still contain data, sometimes highly sensitive data, even if they are powered off and forgotten.
Anyone with access to that storage area could become a risk factor. A disgruntled employee. A third-party vendor. Even a break-in. When equipment is not tracked, secured, or properly retired, it becomes an opportunity.
📊 The Real Cost of Doing Nothing
To underscore the stakes, Reesy references IBM’s annual Cost of a Data Breach report. The 2025 report estimates the global average cost of a data breach at $4.4 million, while the average cost in the United States climbs to $10.2 million.
Those figures reflect far more than lost files. They include legal costs, operational downtime, regulatory penalties, and long-term damage to trust.
What makes the situation more concerning is that many organizations do not consider retired equipment part of their cyber security strategy. Active systems get attention. Firewalls are monitored. Passwords are updated. Meanwhile, old devices sit quietly in storage, still holding data and still capable of causing harm.
🧠 Cyber Security Is a Cradle to Grave Responsibility
One of the central themes of Reesy’s article is the idea that cyber security must follow technology from beginning to end. Not just from login to logout, but from deployment to final disposition.
If a business invests heavily in protecting data while devices are in use, but ignores what happens when those devices are retired, the strategy is incomplete. End-of-life equipment is still part of the data lifecycle.
This is where proper computer recycling and electronic recycling come into play. Secure retirement ensures that data-bearing components are handled correctly and that devices do not become future security risks.
♻️ Where Secure Recycling Fits In
Reesy’s article also highlights that safe disposal does not have to be complicated or expensive. Through Omega ECycles, organizations can schedule pickup of end-of-life IT equipment and trust that each step is handled with care.
At the Omega ECycles electronics recycling facility, asset tags are removed, memory and hard drives are physically destroyed, and remaining materials are responsibly recycled. Businesses receive documentation including a Certificate of Destruction and a Certificate of Recycling, providing accountability and peace of mind.
This approach combines free electronics recycling with verified data destruction services, removing uncertainty from the process and helping organizations stay compliant.
🌱 Protecting Data and the Planet
Beyond security, Reesy emphasizes the environmental responsibility tied to electronic disposal. Improper handling of electronics contributes to toxic waste and lost resources. Responsible recycling recovers valuable materials and prevents harmful substances from entering landfills.
By pairing hard drive destruction services with environmentally responsible recycling, organizations can address both cyber security and sustainability goals at the same time.
This dual focus reflects Omega ECycles’ mission to protect sensitive information while reducing environmental impact.
👩💼 About Omega ECycles and Its Mission
Founded in 2021 by Reesy Neff, Omega ECycles is a woman-owned, woman-led IT asset recycling and data destruction company built at the intersection of environmental responsibility and cyber security.
Reesy’s background in the highly regulated banking industry exposed a clear gap. Many organizations lacked a trustworthy, transparent option for retiring outdated computers, servers, and related electronics. Equipment often sat untouched because leaders did not know where to take it, how to document it, or how to verify that data was truly destroyed.
Omega ECycles was created to solve that problem. The company helps organizations confidently retire equipment through responsible electronic recycling practices paired with verified data destruction. The goal is to ensure devices never become environmental waste or future security threats.
Rooted in service and community, Omega ECycles reflects a belief that success means leaving people and places better than you found them. From small businesses to larger organizations, the company is committed to making end-of-life IT simple, compliant, and accountable.
📌 A Clear Takeaway for Businesses
Reesy’s message in Thriving is clear. Cyber security does not end when a device is powered down. Closets full of old electronics deserve just as much attention as active systems.
By working with a trusted electronics recycling facility and integrating secure disposal into your technology lifecycle, businesses can reduce risk, protect sensitive data, and support sustainability goals.
As Reesy puts it, cyber security is a cradle to grave process. Omega ECycles is here to take care of the grave.
