David Hirschler, Director of OEM, Sustainability and Legislative Affairs for ERI, the nation’s leading fully integrated IT and electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company, was a featured technology panelist today at the City & State 2020 New York in Transit Summit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.

City & State’s Transit Summit offered industry executives, public sector leaders and academics the opportunity to discuss all aspects of New York’s transportation systems. Following the release of the MTA's five-year capital plan and the continuation of long-planned expansion projects, New York's systems for moving people and information are poised for a significant makeover. The New York In Transit Summit brings together experts across sectors to assess the current state of New York's transportation systems, break down recent legislative actions, and look towards the future of all things coming and going in New York.

As part of a cross-disciplinary panel titled “How Technology is Transforming Public Transit,” Hirschler was joined on stage by Senator Leroy Comrie, Chairman, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee; New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman, Committee on Transportation; Joshua Benson, Deputy Commissioner for Traffic Operations, New York City Department of Transportation; and Michael Affronti, SVP, Product Management, Dataminr. The session was moderated by Annie McDonough, Tech Reporter for City & State NY.

During the discussion, Hirschler described and shared insights on what types of private data can be easily accessed on consumer electronics in a smart city age, and also talked about the importance of destroying the data stored on old technology when new innovations are introduced.

“It has been rewarding to share what we know and what we’ve learned with other thought leaders from government agencies and the private sector at this important and vital summit,” said Hirschler. “It is particularly rewarding to discuss the urgent importance of data destruction, protecting the privacy of people and businesses of the great city of New York. Proper destruction of private digital data has become a crucially important issue and making it part of the overall discussion is vital.”

ERI is the largest fully integrated IT and electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company in the United States. ERI is certified at the highest level by all leading environmental and data security oversight organizations to de-manufacture, recycle, and refurbish every type of electronic device in an environmentally responsible manner. ERI has the capacity to process more than a billion pounds of electronic waste annually at its eight certified locations, serving every zip code in the United States. ERI’s mission is to protect organizations, people and the environment. For more information about e-waste recycling and ERI, call 1-800-ERI-DIRECT or visit https://eridirect.com.