It’s the time of year when many people start thinking about sprucing up their offices with a Spring clean, getting their business organised, and throwing out any old documents they no longer need.
That’s why it’s the perfect time to ensure your business has its shredding organised.
Why? Without the right processes, your business could find itself on the wrong side of data protection rules.
And, with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May, this becomes even more important.
The regulations are being tightened and businesses who breach them will face stiffer fines than under the current system.
There are three areas where you could fall foul of the rules:
- Your confidential waste paper – Think of the details which could be contained in your documents. They could contain client records with names, phone numbers, addresses, and bank details. There could be staff records with national insurance numbers, staff rotas giving details of people’s movements, or details from your suppliers including bank transfer details for payments. It’s important that these details don’t fall into the wrong hands. It’s important to consider the scale of the problem. Ask yourself if you need a large waste container or mobile shredding, and how often you need a shredding service.
- Your old media – Flash drives, CDs, hard drives, and SIMs can contain all the same personal details that paper documents can. It’s simply not good enough to wipe them – that takes away the directory but data thieves who know what they’re doing can still retrieve files. They must be shredded to ensure the files are not recoverable and dealt with in a secure environment.
- Sensitive documents – These could include staff records, records of disciplinary matters, and some businesses such as care homes will have medical details on records. These details getting out could be very harmful for the individuals involved and disastrous for your business. While you’re collecting them for secure destruction, make sure they’re held in a secure environment. Think about our lockable cabinets for your office.
Are your staff under pressure already? Then they can’t afford to spend hours standing by a shredding machine, and your business can’t afford them to do that either.
They’re needed to deliver for your customers.
It’s time to consider outsourcing your shredding to a reputable, experienced company which offers an affordable, secure service – just like On Time Shred.
How do you know your confidential waste has been securely destroyed?
The best way is to choose a company which offers secure collection, a waste transfer note, and a certificate of destruction – just like On Time Shred. That means your audit trail is complete, and your confidential waste won’t find its way into the wrong hands. That’s peace of mind!
Need help shredding your confidential waste? Call our On Time Shred experts on 0330 333 1234.
