By Reesy Neff, CEO/Founder of Omega ECycles
A Technology Solutions feature piece from the 2025/2026 Thriving Magazine issue!
Do you or your company have a “graveyard” of end-of-life IT equipment sitting in a closet or storage area? If you answered yes, don’t worry, you are not alone. Or maybe you should worry but not because you are the only one storing those devices. I happen to run into this scenario on a regular basis. There are lots of businesses out there holding on to this equipment. Often, because they aren’t sure what to do with it. They know not to throw it in the trash. That’s good, right. Afterall, it’s just sitting there in a closet. What’s the harm in that?
Did you know this “graveyard” of IT equipment poses a cyber security risk? Honestly, it’s a potential “time bomb” waiting to go off. Let me tell you why.
First, did you know IBM does a study every year (https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach) researching the average cost of a data breach. The 2025 report indicates globally that the number is $4.4 million dollars. The US, however, averages a whopping $10.2 million dollars! So why would a closet full of “dead” equipment pose a potential data breach?
Think about who has or potentially has access to the closet. How about a disgruntled employee. One day, said employee decides to sneak into that closet, and takes a laptop home. Or what about the outside vendor who decides to take a peek in that closet and thinks who is ever going to miss one of these computers? There are lots of them in there and the closest doesn’t seem to change. If anything, it gets fuller. Vendor decides to snag a computer and now has access to all that information. What about a break in? The items in that closet have value. I think you got the picture.
Your company’s cyber security should have a cradle to grave process. And yes, the grave is as important as the cradle aka when the computer is turned on. There is lots of information sitting on those hard drives you wouldn’t want to get out into the world causing a data breach. Unfortunately, we don’t always think of those turned off computers as a risk. They are! Your cyber security plan should include what you are doing with that closet full of computers.
The good news is there is a way to safely and securely dispose of those items, all while keeping your date safe and as a bonus, protecting the planet. Omega Ecycles will pick up your end-of-life IT equipment. All asset identification tags as well as all memory aka hard drives/solid-state memory are removed. The drives are shredded, leaving no doubt the information is destroyed. The rest is recycled. You receive a Certificate of Destruction along with a Certificate of Recycling. The best part it’s FREE. It’s free because Omega works with certified recyclers who purchase those items from them in bulk.
Remember, cyber security is a cradle to grave process. We, at Omega Ecycles, can take care of your “grave”
About Omega
Omega Ecycles is a woman-owned, woman-led end-of-life IT asset recycling and data destruction company founded in 2021 by Reesy Neff. Built at the intersection of environmental responsibility and cybersecurity, Omega Ecycles exists for one clear purpose: to protect both the planet and the sensitive information stored on retired technology.
After years of working in highly regulated industry of banking, Reesy saw a gap in the market. Businesses often had no clear, trustworthy option for disposing of outdated computers, servers, and related electronics, especially one that also ensured data-bearing components were handled with the highest level of care. Too often, equipment sat in closets or storage areas because leaders were unsure where to take it, how to document it, or how to verify that data was truly gone.
Omega Ecycles addresses that need with a secure, transparent approach to IT asset disposition. The company helps organizations confidently retire equipment through responsible recycling practices paired with verified data destruction, ensuring devices don’t become environmental waste or a future security risk. From small businesses to larger organizations, Omega Ecycles is committed to making end-of-life IT simple, compliant, and accountable.
Rooted in service and community, Omega Ecycles reflects Reesy’s belief that success means leaving people and places better for having been there. By combining integrity, security-minded processes, and a sustainability-first mission, Omega Ecycles is helping organizations modernize how they manage technology from deployment to final disposition or as Reesy likes to say from cradle to grave.
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