Computer and digital device retirement and disposal

This procedure outlines the steps required to securely decommission an IT asset and prepare it for surplus or disposal. The process ensures organizational data is irreversibly removed, the device is retired from management and inventory systems, and all associated records are updated before the asset is transferred through the approved campus surplus process.

Objective

This article provides the procedures for securely decommissioning IT assets to ensure organizational data is protected, hardware is properly removed from service, and devices are prepared for reuse, recycling, or disposal in accordance with organizational policy and applicable security standards.

Users

All University of Nebraska IT personnel

Before You Begin

Before beginning the device decommissioning and disposal process, verify that the device is no longer required for operational use and that all necessary approvals have been obtained. Ensure all required data has been backed up or migrated, asset inventory records have been updated, and any software licenses or service associations have been transferred or removed as appropriate. Confirm that no legal, regulatory, or retention requirements require the device or its data to be preserved. Once the decommissioning process begins, data will be permanently destroyed and the device prepared for disposal or recycling in accordance with organizational policy.

Steps

1. Verify the device has been approved for decommissioning and that all required data has been backed up or migrated.
2. Attach the Surplus Property Checklist to the device, see attachment to this article.
3. Sanitize the storage media in accordance with the Media Sanitization Procedures.
4. Remove the storage drive(s) from the device, where practical and in accordance with organizational policy.
5. Remove the device from the endpoint management platform (Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM) or Jamf, as applicable).
6. For Apple devices, remove it from Apple School Manager (ASM) to release Activation Lock and organizational ownership.
7. Verify the device has been removed from any Static Host Lists (SHLs) or other access control lists where applicable.
8. Request removal of the device’s DNS and IP address records (IPAM), if applicable.
9. Remove the device from any additional systems, such as:
   • Active Directory computer accounts
   • Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms (Palo Alto Cortex XDR)
   • Vulnerability management platforms (Tenable,)
10. Update the asset management record to indicate the device has been Disposed, including the disposal date and any required disposition information.
11. Add an end date to corresponding Object On Loan record in SAP, where applicable.

After all previous steps have been completed, follow your campus-specific surplus property process to transfer the device for approved disposal or recycling.

UNK: https://sapphire.bravais.com/document/1859/download
UNL: https://inventory.unl.edu/surplus-pick-ups/
UNO: https://www.unomaha.edu/environmental-health-and-safety/chemical-safety/2026-uno_computerandelectronicequipmentdisposal-ada-updated.pdf