How to manage your secure documents during their lifecycle
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.
Secure document disposal
Recycling has been one of the big trends that has enabled the UK to now recycle up to 80% of paper waste. However, document security now needs to be addressed by a large number of businesses as a matter of urgency. Disposing of private documents into an accessible wheelie bin leaves information vulnerable to a confidentiality breach.
Storage can be a security risk
Storage can be a security risk, leaving documents vulnerable to be used in an authorised way, even in the workplace. This is why Shred-on-Site has created a range of lockable storage solutions including secure wheelie bins and lockable veneered consoles. These provide a convenient way to store all documents securely and minimise the risk of a data security breach.
Create a destruction policy
It is estimated that ½ of companies have no destruction policy in place, leaving their documents open to fraud and misuse, as well as unauthorised access. A policy can be as simple as specifying who has access to secure documentation, and where it will be stored and locked until it is disposed of. You can also determine the disposal method that will be used. The only way to ensure that information is unrecoverable once it has left your premises is to shred it on site, whether this is done in house, or by a specialist shredding company to save you a huge amount of time.
Train and educate your staff
Part of managing your secure documents during their lifecycle involves educating your employees about how to use and store documents correctly. Ensure that all staff members follow instructions to dispose of unnecessary documents as soon as possible, putting them into locked consoles until disposal. Surprisingly, a “clean desk” policy can encourage staff not to leave private documents easily accessible on their desk at any time.
Partnering with a Shredding Company
Partnering with a Shredding Company is the most effective way to ensure that your documents are kept as secure as possible throughout their lifecycle. From storage to disposal, Shred-on-Site will shred your documents at a convenient time for you, before taking the shredded material to be recycled. In this way, you can have a positive environmental impact without losing any security.
Give Shred-on-Site a call on 0800 181 4106 today to find out more about how we can help you to manage your secure documents during their lifetime.
Author: Mark Coombes - Follow me on Google+
