From Infrastructure to Cybersecurity
With nearly two decades of experience spanning IT infrastructure, information security, and cybersecurity, Tom brings a practical, end-to-end perspective. His career path - from apprentice to group IT leadership - has shaped a strong belief that cybersecurity cannot be treated as a siloed function.
“Cybersecurity has to be embedded across the entire lifecycle of IT assets,” he explains. “That includes what happens after those assets leave your organization.”
Why End-of-Life IT Is Often Neglected
In many organizations, responsibility for IT assets sits with procurement or sustainability teams. Devices are leased, refreshed, and returned - often without cybersecurity teams being involved in the final stage.
The result?
Data risk at the very moment organizations believe an asset is no longer their problem.
“Cybersecurity isn’t always front of mind when equipment reaches the end of its lease,” Tom notes. “But the data doesn’t disappear just because the asset has.”
This disconnect is increasingly being recognized as a material risk - one that organisations are now actively trying to address.
Factory Reset Is Not Enough
One of the most common misconceptions Tom highlights is the belief that factory resets equal secure data removal.
In reality, residual data frequently remains - particularly on network and data centre equipment.
“We’ve seen network configurations, VLAN tables, credentials, and other sensitive information still recoverable after a factory reset,” he says.
That’s why recognized standards matter. Frameworks such as NIST 800-88 and IEEE 2883 require a purge approach - a physical, verifiable process that communicates directly with the device firmware to ensure data is permanently removed and validated.
Without this, organizations risk leaving sensitive information exposed long after assets have moved on.
Security and Sustainability Are Not Opposites
A key theme throughout the conversation is that data security and environmental responsibility do not have to be at odds.
Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. With the right partner and processes, organizations can protect data while extending the useful life of technology assets.
“At SK tes, our priority is always to securely sanitise data first,” Tom explains. “From there, we focus on reuse, refurbishment, and value recovery wherever possible — and ethical recycling when reuse isn’t viable.”
This approach supports both cybersecurity objectives and circular economy goals, proving that sustainability and security can reinforce each other rather than compete.
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