Shred on Site

Security is crucial to effective risk management for any organisation today. From digital hacks through to stolen data in physical form, there are many ways in which the information that a business generates could be a threat to its survival. Shredding provides a secure and simple way to deal with this threat, minimising the potential for documents or papers to be exposed to those who could use them in a way that harms an ongoing concern. But, when it comes to shredding, what should your business be disposing of in this way?

Every year, organisations lose around 5% of their annual revenue to fraud. For small businesses without serious checks and balances in place this percentage can be even higher. The impact of fraud is something that has made a lot of headlines – financial cost, reputational damage and a loss of employee or customer trust are just a few of the consequences that can arise as a result.

Ransomware has become the most common way for cyber criminals to attack businesses. In fact, around 60% of ‘malware payloads’ are now ransomware. This type of threat can come in two distinct formats: ransomware that blocks access to systems and the type that encrypts files and systems and holds them hostage until payment is provided in return for a decryption key.

Disposing of documents safely is something that most businesses have become used to prioritising. There may be many different motivations for this but at the heart of them all there tends to be one overarching factor: respect. Over the past couple of years the importance of data has been underlined by new regulation and by the experiences of those who have suffered the very public consequences of a lack of data security.  That’s why respect for data is now one of the main motivating factors in why companies partner with a shredding service.

Data Security can involve all aspects of your business. From how you store or dispose of your physical documents and IT hardware. Recent regulation of GDPR 2018 is a regulation to make sure you have a process in place to protect personal information and how it is processed. The correct way of disposing of unwanted physical documentation and potentially IT hardware is a small but important aspect of how you and your business are GDPR compliant.

Identity theft is a serious problem in the UK. With more than 500 individual identities stolen every day, the chances are high that you – or someone you know – could end up becoming a victim of this unsettling crime. It’s not just individuals who are targeted by cybercriminals looking to benefit from pretending to be someone else but businesses too. From running up fraudulent credit to using falsely obtained financial details, the consequences can be severe. So, how can you protect your business from identity theft?

New Year’s Resolutions are an annual tradition. If you’re considering them for your business in 2019 then start by looking at your document disposal processes. Shredding is a new year commitment that your business will benefit from all year round. From legal compliance through to giving you peace of mind when it comes to security, there are many benefits that make this a resolution worth sticking to.

Effective data management is incredibly important today. It’s crucial for any business to have this under control, not just to ensure customers are protected but also to avoid attrition. Customers today are much more proactive when it comes to checking up on how businesses will protect their data – one 2018 survey, for example, established that 92% of consumers look at an organisation's data protection track record before choosing an institution to bank with. Plus, consumers tend to be put off using companies that have experienced data protection breaches.

A business shredding solution not only helps to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness but also to cover off essentials such as legal compliance and corporate social responsibility too. It is increasingly viewed as the most attractive solution to waste management and document disposal, no matter what your industry. If you’re investing in business shredding then there are a number of key elements involved in the ideal solution.

A recent study found that current climate change predictions may have significantly underestimated the speed and seriousness of global warming. New research like this, as well as changes to the political landscape that saw the USA stepping out of the crucial Paris Climate Agreement, have pushed environmental issues to the top of many agendas. As a result, eco concerns have a major role to play in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and many businesses today are prioritising this within CSR policy.