Where risk actually happens
Most risk doesn’t happen on a workbench. It happens when equipment is sitting untracked in a storage closet, when a device is moved without a record, or when handoffs are informal.
A custody process reduces the “unknown time” in a device’s retirement. That’s what leadership cares about when they ask, “How do we know nothing walked off?”
Handoffs that hold up
Good custody looks boring—which is the point. It usually includes:
- Clear pickup handoff (what was released, by whom, when)
- Check-in that reconciles quantities and identifiers
- Controlled handling during processing (no “mystery pile”)
- Disposition records (wipe/destroy/reuse/recycle)
How custody connects to NIST 800-88
NIST 800-88 is sanitization language. Custody is the logistics-and-control layer around sanitization. Both are required to produce a defensible story.
If you want the sanitization framework explained, see NIST SP 800-88 explained.
Wiping vs shredding still needs custody
Whether you wipe or destroy, custody controls the time between “it left our building” and “the action was completed.” That gap is where many organizations get uncomfortable.
Read wiping vs shredding for the method comparison.
Related service pages
For how we talk about custody and documentation on actual routes, see business electronics recycling (ITAD) and hard drive destruction & wiping.