Changes which come into force in the next few weeks will have a radical impact on all sorts of businesses across the UK.
The new EU rules, GDPR, mean people have the right to know what personal data is held on them, how it is held, and for how long, and what we do with it.
Personal data is anything which identifies an individual. So, that would include names, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, and banking details.
What is GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation comes into force on May 25.
The EU regulation will affect the UK even though we are preparing for Brexit, the UK government has confirmed. Read the full guide from the Information Commissionerhere.
The new rules mean anyone who has personal data held on them has the right to ask why we hold it, how secure it is, and they may request that we destroy it. Whether we must will depend on the legal basis for holding the information.
Contracts with guarantees will need to be held to ensure the guarantee period is met, for example.
That personal information can be both on computer and in paper documents – extending data protection to written documents for the first time.
There are potentially severe penalties for data breaches, with fines of up to 4% of worldwide turnover or 20 million Euros, whichever is the highest.
In the most serious cases, people whose data was lost must be informed within 72 hours, and any data breach must be reported to the Information Commissioner in a timely fashion.
What does this mean for stored documents?
It’s now important that documents which contain information which could identify an individual are stored securely.
It’s also vital that you can access these documents easily, as requests for information on what’s held must be met within 30 days.
Why choose secure document storage?
Every organisation must show how it secures data. So, having a secure storage facility allows them to create and maintain an audit trail for the documents they hold.
This audit trail becomes important if there is a data breach. Investigators will need to see documentary evidence of where data was held and how.
Why choose document storage with On Time Shred?
- 20 years of secure storage experience
- A transparent and cost-effective service
- Collection from your site is free and we can supply high quality storage boxes
- Each carton gets a unique tracking number allowing you to manage your boxes online
- On Time Shred uses state of the art RFID tracking systems, and they comply with UK and EU regulations.
Need help with your document storage? Call our On Time Shred experts on 0330 333 1234.
