How Do You Decommission 500 Servers While Meeting FCA Audit Requirements?
When a FTSE 250 financial services firm needed to decommission an entire London data centre, they faced strict regulatory requirements that most recycling providers could not meet. FCA regulations demand complete data destruction with verifiable evidence, and the penalties for non-compliance can reach millions of pounds.
The Challenge
- 512 enterprise servers containing regulated financial data
- FCA compliance requiring HMG Infosec Standard 5 level destruction
- Chain-of-custody documentation for every asset from rack to destruction
- Data centre timeline requiring clearance before lease expiry
- Value recovery expectation from residual hardware
The firm had previously used an on-site shredding service for individual drives, but the scale of this project required a comprehensive partner who could manage logistics, destruction, and value recovery together.
Our Solution
On-site Asset Audit: Our team catalogued every server, recording serial numbers, drive types, and locations within the data centre. This created the baseline asset register for the entire project.
Secure Transportation: Servers were transported in sealed, GPS-tracked vehicles with tamper-evident seals. Collection manifests were signed by authorised personnel at both ends.
HMG Infosec Standard 5 Destruction: All storage media underwent destruction certified to HMG Infosec Standard 5. SSDs were physically shredded. HDDs were degaussed and then shredded. Each drive received an individual destruction certificate with photographic evidence.
Value Recovery Programme: Server chassis, memory, processors, and networking equipment were tested, graded, and remarketed through our B2B refurbishment channel. Revenue was shared with the client.
The Results
“The level of documentation Innovent provided was exactly what our compliance team needed. Individual destruction certificates with photographic evidence for every drive made our FCA audit straightforward.”
— Head of IT Infrastructure, FTSE 250 Financial Services Firm
Key Takeaways
- FCA-regulated firms require HMG Infosec Standard 5 or equivalent data destruction certification
- Data centre decommissions need end-to-end chain-of-custody documentation
- Value recovery from enterprise hardware can significantly offset disposal costs
- Working with an ISO 27001 certified provider simplifies compliance reporting
Ready to Discuss Your Data Centre Decommission?
From single-rack projects to full data centre clearances, Innovent provides the security, compliance, and value recovery your organisation requires.
