Protect your sensitive data by decluttering your office
A cluttered working environment isn’t just a bad idea when it comes to aesthetics and efficiency. It can also put your sensitive data at risk. Today, if you’re not properly safeguarding data in files and documents it can be accessed by those seeking to perpetrate identity theft, financial fraud and a range of other threats. Regular confidential shredding ensures that any documents and data that could expose your business in this way are being regularly destroyed - before they can fall into the wrong hands.
Fraud and theft are big business
That’s why the numbers are increasing all the time. For example, in 2022 cases of identity theft rose by 22%. The total losses that resulted from this were around £2.7 billion - stealing sensitive data is a lucrative business for thieves and a costly one for everyone else, which is why it’s so important to ensure that your data is well protected.
Failing to comply can be costly too
Another reason to commit to regular confidential shredding is to ensure that your business is compliant with the law. When the GDPR arrived in 2018 it required every business to protect sensitive data in a secure way. This includes when it comes to deleting records, which is a process that must be treated as ‘part of a good records system,’ according to the ICO. Confidential shredding not only helps to remove the threat of sensitive data simply laying around the office but also means that you get a certificate of destruction to prove compliance too.
Tips for protecting sensitive data by decluttering:
- Put regular shredding services in place. Confidential shredding is the best way to protect your data (and your business) because this is a process that will completely destroy documents and make them totally unreadable. It means that no one without authorisation will be able to access that sensitive data and put your organisation at risk.
- Use secure bins and consoles for waste documents. This will not only help to declutter the office space but also ensure that files and documents that could contain sensitive data are kept secure right up to the moment that they are removed to be shredded.
- Introduce a clear desk policy. Staff should only have the essentials on their desks at the end of the day and documents and files should never be left out in the open. This not only helps to improve how an office looks and feels but how secure it is too.
- Ensure you’re clear on how long documents need to be retained. Some documents must be kept as records and others may be required further down the line. Ensure that you’re clear on the time limits for keeping documents and that your business has precise guidance in place for retention and disposal.
Confidential shredding is a vital process for any organisation prioritising security today. It not only helps to minimise the potential for loss or theft but creates a clearer and more effective working environment too.
