- Identify
- Authorize
- Sanitize
- Verify
- Reconcile disposition
A collection receipt is only one part of the ending
A carrier or disposal provider can confirm that something was collected. That does not by itself prove that each asset was sanitized, that the selected method was appropriate, or that the final disposition matched authorization. Keep the asset identifier linked across custody, treatment and disposition records.
Choose the method against the actual risk
Use current organizational requirements, media characteristics and approved technical guidance to select the sanitization route. NIST SP 800-88 Revision 2 was published in September 2025. Consult the current guidance directly; a generic certificate or this short article is not a substitute for a validated technical method.
A useful evidence chain
Retain the authorized asset list, custody handoffs, selected treatment, execution result, verification outcome, exception disposition and final recipient or destruction evidence. Record who reviewed discrepancies. Protect sensitive evidence according to the organization’s retention and access rules.
Example: one missing serial number
A batch contains 50 expected devices, but the returned evidence identifies only 49. Do not close all 50 because the total weight or invoice looks plausible. Keep the unmatched asset open, reconcile collection and provider records, and escalate the unresolved custody or evidence gap through the designated process.
Close both the physical and record lifecycle
Reconcile the approved disposition with operational records, relevant financial records and contractual obligations. Reuse, resale, donation and destruction may need different evidence. An asset disappearing from discovery is not proof that this ending was completed.
Go deeper with the related Operational ITAM podcast and transcript.
Source context
Methods can be adapted internationally. The paid collection’s jurisdiction-specific operating guidance centers on the United States and Canada; apply local requirements and actual contracts. Examples are illustrative, not guaranteed savings or certification.