Despite the move towards paperless working, information is still being stored on physical media. This hardware includes media such as hard drives, USB Memory sticks, SIM cards, X-Rays, Video or Cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, and Microfishe and Floppy Disks. All of these things can contain sensitive information that now needs to be disposed of.
Paper shredding is already an instrumental part of many businesses as an element of their secure destruction and privacy policy. However, this can leave a large volume of shredded material to be disposed of. On-site shredding providers not only provide secure document destruction, but also recycle the shredded material following the shredding process.
Many people always ask me why they should shred their paper waste on-site in preference to having a company taking it away to dispose of it off-site. The answer is quite simple. The main reason for shredding on-site is for the security of your confidential documents.
It is becoming more and more common for businesses to choose to have sensitive pieces of information destroyed on-site. This is usually done via on-site shredding companies, when the documents are no longer of use. As the name suggests, on-site shredding is done on the companies premises, where the process can be overseen by staff from start to finish.
The UK is unique in that all organisations are expected to adhere to a strict level of data protection. Every company is required to meet these data protection demands outlined in UK legislation and failure to do so can result in huge financial and legal consequences. All confidential information must be disposed of securely and efficiently to meet legal guidelines and prevent a data breach or action being taken against you.
Public sector organisations generally tend to process a greater amount of data on a daily basis than the private sector. Due to this high volume of data being passed and processed within the system, not having the right security measures in place could be troublesome for your business. It could result in you suffering major damages both financially and to your reputation, should the information that you hold end up in the wrong hands.
Most businesses store a considerable amount of confidential and time sensitive information on hardware. This is information that will need to be destroyed after its period of use. Whilst many businesses store information in paper form, an increasing number of businesses are opting to store their data digitally. There are many ways of destroying a hard drive and other media, but here is what you need to know to achieve this securely:
Shredding is a key part of many business’ in-house security policies because of the benefits that it brings. But what are these benefits and how can shredding services apply to multi-office businesses, with multiple locations?
Are you aware of the process that takes place when your business’ confidential documents are no longer required? How are they stored when they’re being used? It’s all too easy to simply recycle them. Although this is great for the environment, it does nothing but cause a high risk to your security. Keeping confidential documents secure at all stages of their lifecycle is imperative to ensuring complete compliance with UK data protection laws.
One of the greatest threats that businesses face on a day-to-day basis is a data breach. There can be many causes of this, from a lack of security in-house to external threats such as unauthorised personnel actively seeking confidential information. It’s important to prepare for these threats and create a data protection policy that encompasses all areas of your information security. So how can you be ready in case of any attempts at a data breach?
