8 Tips to help you improve your company’s document security

 8 Tips to help you improve your company’s document security.

Cyclone Shredding are experts in document, information and product destruction services. We offer customers a certified information destruction service and guidance to all types of organisations to help ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act.

The following 8 tips are designed to help protect your organisation's data and information. This in turn should help protect your business reputation and avoid an unnecessary data security breach which are becoming increasing frequent and are very costly to businesses when they occur.

1.      Destroy data properly – Securely shred all confidential data. Arrange for a reputable contractor to securely destroy your business information. Onsite shredding is regarded as the most secure way to destroy confidential files.

2.     Check your shredding provider – What do you know about the company who you trust to shred your confidential files. Do they have a good reputation? Have they got a proven track record and is there evidence that there may be flaws in their processes? Did you search on-line for negative articles and news stories? You may be surprised who the cowboys are.

3.     Make sure you have an audit trail – Does your provider certify the Destruction of all shredding work carried out. Insisting on a Certificate of Destruction leaves you with a permanent record of the destruction taking place.

4.     Check identities & Paperwork – use credit reference agencies to verify the identity of your preferred suppliers and ask for a copy of their waste collection permit. A waste collection permit is essential for all companies offering confidential shredding services.

5.     Create a confidential data policy – if you don’t have one in place you are already in the high risk category for being a victim of data theft. 

6.     Store data securely in your offices – use lockable shredding containers and bins to store your confidential waste in when it's on your site. A large proportion of data theft is committed by employees.

7.     Train & Inform staff – train staff, and contractors such as cleaners, on how to deal with confidential data properly and monitor their behaviour. Remember, most fraud is committed by people who work within the organisation.

8.       Be weary of carrying large amounts of unnecessary confidential data – Purge outdated files at regular intervals. If documents no longer need to be stored they should be securely destroyed. Once destroyed they pose no risk to your organisation.

Follow us on twitter @cyclone_shred or call us if we can be of assistance. 1800 30 30 66.