Mobile paper shredding providers Security in Shredding go through Brexit and what it means for Data Protection and Privacy.

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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Uncertainty is ever present when dealing with Data Protection and since the Brexit referendum there is undoubtedly an increased level of uncertainty. Many questions are circling relating to how will this Brexit decision impact data processors and data controllers across key sectors of the UK and Irish economy.

For example, will paper shredding Dublin and the related legislations be the same as that in London, or will secure document shredding Galway be subject to separate legislation as that in Manchester. Similar issues arise when multinational Companies that for example, receive confidential shredding Limerick at their Limerick location and also receive confidential shredding Belfast in their Belfast location, will there be discrepancies in the requirements for each location to be compliant with Data Protection Legislation?

EU & The Single Market

Harmonisation of laws throughout Europe has been one of the main aspects of the EU. The current regulations for protecting personal data within both Ireland and The UK which include secure document shredding derive from EU Law. The Data Protection Commissioner in Ireland and the Information Commissioner in the UK released a statement saying that the on-going 1998 Act will remain law post Brexit.

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General Data Protection Regulation (Divergence of the Law?)

In May 2018 the General Data Protection Regulation will come into effect. Unlike its predecessor the Data Protection Directive, the GDPR will be a cross region regulation that will apply directly to all EU member states.

With The UK no longer being a member of The EU the GDPR will not apply to it. With this in mind there are many questions relating to the future path for UK data protection rules. In areas such as data transfers, subject access requests and data erasure whether it be paper shredding or Hard-Drive destruction.

If the UK wishes to remain a central location for IT & Finance then it will seem that they will have to comply with The GDPR, additionally if they wish to join the European Economic Area it will need to adopt the GDPR.

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What does it mean?

In plan terms, it is likely to remain business as usual for the next 12 – 19 months and the exit period is expected to take up to 2 years which ends a couple of months after the GDPR is implemented.

In many views, the Brexit outcome is beneficial to Ireland relating to Data Protection. The Republic will be the only English speaking nation with the benefits of being part of the EU free movements of services, people, goods workers and personal data.

This means that businesses can structure their operations so as to only be subject to one single data protection authority such as The DPC.

The content of is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.

For more information please contact the Security in Shredding team.

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Specialising in secure confidential document shredding services with a reputation for exceptional security, customer service. Delivering value for money and the utilisation of leading technology compliant to the highest security standards within the industry.

10 Tips for protecting sensitive data in your Organisation

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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The two main reasons why Organisations need to protect their data through hiring shredding companies Ireland or establishing security protocols are;

Reputation & Legislation both of which effect the financials of any given Organisation.

All companies inclusive of Shredding companies Ireland need to have some best practices in place to protect their sensitive data.

Historically legislation has varied from region to region within the EU which meant for example; a company receiving confidential shredding limerick may not be subject to the same fines, penalties and procedures as an Organisation receiving confidential shredding Paris.

With the new General Data Protection Regulation coming into effect the legislation will be harmonised across Europe. In 2018-2019 Organisations who experience a data breach through failing to have off site document shredding services in place will receive fines that will be subject to the same criteria as another Organisation may be in another region within Europe.

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Below is a small list of;

Ten Top Tips for protecting sensitive data within your Organisation;

Ensure that all passwords are encrypted in nature. Do not have passwords easy to remember and introduce an encrypted method for password production.
Protect against new malware. Constantly update your software to protect your Companies sensitive information. New malware is being released all the time so you need to be up to date to be protected.
Eliminate USB Key memory drives. When possible Organisations should have a USB ban as it could lead to data being lost from your Company.
Education, knowledge is power. Organisations are advised to run education courses for staff with specific responsibility for Data Protection.
Be ready for disaster. Create a plan of action to follow in the case of a data breach. Fast and effective procedures for disaster reaction can make a significant difference to legal ramifications & your corporate reputation.
Have reward systems vs penalty systems in place for staff. In an event of a data breach the key thing to take away is “what have we learned from this?” vs how will I punish the given employee.
Be lenient with employee internet rules;
1. A lock down scenario is not advised as studies have shown that it increases the likelihood of staff working around these sanctions while also putting your Organisation’s information at risk. Speak with staff, find out what they want and plan the best method of granting it to them.
Establish a remote wipe facility;
1. Leaving and losing mobile devices containing sensitive data is a growing concern for Organisations today. It is advised that you should encrypt all data on these devices and have a remote wiping facility.
All confidential Information needs to be Encrypted.
1. Do not make it easy for people to get access to information.
Inclusion of staff. Include staff in all data protection control implementation. Do not depend on general information streams to effectively communicate the new rules and procedures in place, make specific meetings with the specific departments to effectively communicate your message.

For further information upon how to protect your Organisation from Data loss please contact one of the Security in Shredding Team.

Email: info@securityinshredding.com

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Do’s and Don’ts on Social Media to protect your info

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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Social media has grown where most people will operate across multiple social media platforms. While these such platforms have made us feel closer to friends and family that are far away it has not come without added risk.

Apart from secure document shredding Galway, secure document shredding Dublin and paper shredding Ireland, it is essential for all people using social media to be careful and diligent when using their platforms.

Online criminals can target these platform profiles to make use of our most private details, even details we may not class as “important” can be of high value to an online criminal. Simple “check in” details of our favourite restaurants can end up revealing more than was intended.

Next time before you tweet, click or share your next updates it is important to be sure that you are protecting your information. Below is a brief list of Do’s and Don’ts that we believe will help you to ensure that your privacy is maintained.

DO’s…

Create a strong and long password. We suggest that your passwrods should contain upper and lower case letters with numbers included also. Similar to paper shredding Ireland, a non-secure shred size will be reconstructed where a certified shredding service either a mobile paper shredding service or an offsite paper shredding service resulting in particle shred sizes cannot be reconstructed. Do not make it easy.
Use a two factor login process for authentication purposes. We advise that the phone option where a time sensitive code will be sent to your phone to be entered when logging in on a new device.
Keep all social apps updated, the latest versions will be up to date with all data protection risks at that current time.
Edit your privacy settings on social media. Make sure your information is not being shared with strangers.
Delete old apps from your devices fully. Make sure to go into the settings to fully remove the apps, removing from the screen may not delete all of your data.

Don’ts….

Do not share location details, these include where you live, where you visit regularly and where you vacate to for holidays. This kind of information can put you at risk of identity theft and/or inform criminals of your whereabouts.
Do not post mean and harmful posts online. It is good practice to post about other as you want them to post about you.
Do not take cyberbullying lightly, it can be extremely damaging to your self-esteem and if allows to continue and grow will put your safety and privacy at risk.

For further information upon social media security and confidential paper shredding Ireland please get in touch with one of our team.

Email: info@securityinshredding.com

Security in Shredding

Top tips; How to protect your IDENTITY from ID Theft.

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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Secure document destruction Ireland and document shredding services Ireland provide a good level of security for your personal information however there are numerous ways that you can unintentionally provide access to your private information.

Not only does this apply to human citizens but even huge corporate entities have had their systems and processes hacked and private information leaked. If full security teams within these large corporations have failed to protect against a data breach who is to say that your own personal computer is not at risk of being hacked and allow criminals access to your personal info?

Easy tips;

Do not provide personal info over the telephone
1. Some crooks do pose as certain companies for example insurance firms and try to get you to release your PPS number. Never release this number over the phone.
Failing to destroy old hard drives and computers
1. Do not just throw them out or sell them to a company that offers you money for them. These re-sellers of IT equipment will not stand over protecting your data. It is important to always securely destroy hard-drives that you no longer use and remain secure. There are many hard-drive destruction services available to you.
Protect your driver’s license
1. All criminals need is to have a picture of your driver’s license, they do not need your physical license. At all times protect your driving license and be aware of who/where you are providing a copy of it to.
Protect your children’s personal information.
1. Through your child’s young years is essential to protect their information. As it can take years before finding out about this crime, criminals tend to try obtain a child’s identity. Never be too quick to provide your children’s personal details unless you are certain of what will happen to the data and when it will be destroyed through an industrial paper shredding service or another means of secure document destruction.
Secure your mailbox
1. Possibly one of the easiest methods for a criminal to obtain your personal information, simply robbing mail from your post box. Always make certain that your post-box is secure so deter thieves.
Shredding paper Ireland
1. Dumpster diving is not illegal and there is no law to stop people from going through your waste. In actual fact your recyclable waste is sorted during the recycling process. Sensitive information can easily be removed from your waste at any stage of the recycling process. For this reason, it is important to have a document shredding service within your business and when not working, make sure to shred all of your personal documents at home.
Phishing emails
1. These are attempts by scammers to trick you into giving out your personal information such as bank details, passwords and credit card details portraying to be someone else.

We will continue this list next week. For further information upon identity theft, data protection and secure data destruction please contact us through email and one of our helpful team will get back in touch with you.

Email: info@securityinshredding.com

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Ireland Businesses – Top Six threats to Data Privacy

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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All Businesses in operation in Limerick, Cork, Dublin, Galway and across Ireland will be aware of Data Breaches and the risks associated with them. A data breach can come in the form of a paper breach when failing to implement confidential document destruction and a digital breach when failing to have appropriate security procedures in place. The knock on negativity that an Organisation faces affects client relationships in addition to damaging your Company image.

In many cases due to DATA PROTECTION LAW your Organisation may be legally responsible to your customers. In this article I will go through my top six threats to Data Privacy for Organisations.

Top SixThreats;

Lack of Data Protocols

In many data breach cases it is found that there was a failure of the Organisation to have even the most basic protocols in place to minimise the loss of customer and employee data. Examples have been; a failure to have confidential paper stored in a secure location when not in use and waste paper material being destroyed through an onsite document shredding facility.

Restricted access to information

A regular mistake by Organisations today both Public and Private is to restrict access to confidential information for employees. A simple “need to know” procedure is a great step in achieving data security.

Failing client expectations

Within many Organisations there seems to be a free for all information sharing tendency. However, in today’s competitive environment business clients and public clients to given Organisations expect to have their information maintained securely. Various staff members with varying staff functions are not required to know one another data details. A simple contract inclusion at employment stage would reduce and minimise this non-required cross function data sharing tendency.

Extended information gathering & sharing

There is an increasing trend in information gathering through online forms and “opt out” functions. This information may be shared among Organisations with no accurate business case to justify such sharing.

Increases in technology

This point covers a multitude of technologies but I will mention two different kinds;

Confidential document shredding – reconstruction technologies
Online digital data technologies that part individuals from their personal information for fraudulent use.

Lack of awareness

There is a concerning level ignorance or lack of knowledge from a Data Controller perspective and general public perspective when dealing with sensitive data.

Data Controllers may lack a degree of awareness of their data protection obligations, such examples can be failing to complete a clear out shredding process at the end of each calendar year or failing to have a confidential document destruction process in place for daily generated materials.

For more information on data privacy Email us at info@securityinshredding.com

The Data Protection Commissioner phone no: +353 57 868 4800

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Why is waste office paper not actual waste? (Onsite Paper Destruction)

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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Historically and in some cases today people and Organisations have disposed of waste paper through waste recycling streams and have not hired in an Onsite shredding service nor an offsite shredding service for documents that are no longer required.

Within this blog entry I will be discussed Waste Vs Data (Liability).

Under Waste Management Legislation paper contains a European Waste Catalogue (EWC) Code, now this code means that the material needs to;

Be recycled in line with The European Waste Hierarchy
Be handled and processed through an Organisation that have a waste permit.

Having a waste permit does not mean that you are a waste company and in turn, having systems in place to recycle paper does not mean that you are a Data Processor that provides paper shredding services (I will cover this in more detail later).

Organisations such as Construction firms, Removal firms and Storage firms have waste permits in order to carry their materials but none of these firms are waste operators. With this in mind, why would you release your confidential information that holds legislative fines of up to 20 Million Euro to a waste firm to recycle for you? Even if the waste firm offers “secure paper shredding services”, there is still no reason to justify releasing your data to them based on your legislative responsibility and obligations.

Off site document shredding

Data Processor Vs Materials Processor

A Data Processor is a person/Organisation who processes (E.g. Destroys) personal data on behalf of a Data Controller. A Data Controller is a person/Organisation who controls the contents and use of personal data (Any Organisation).

The key point to take away here is that Data Protection Laws only apply to Data Processors and Data Controllers. So, if a Data Controller (You) releases “waste” paper DATA to a waste firm to be recycled (Securely or not), under Data Protection Law you have released personal data to an Organisation who may not be a Data Processor and the waste firm may understand it as you (The Data Controller) has actually releases waste material (Paper material) for recycling. In the case of a data breach occurring here who do you feel will be at fault and who will receive the fines of up to 20 Million Euro, yes your correct, it will be you The Data Controller.

So when you are deciding upon what paper shred service to implement within your business, it is important to understand that you need a Data Processing Firm to destroy that data for you. If an Organisation is for example offering secure onsite paper shredding or secure offsite paper shredding they need to acknowledge that it is Data that they are processing for you.

For more information upon Data Protection and how to protect your business please contact one of our helpful team at;

info@securityinshredding.com

Security in Shredding

Top Tips; Why use a clean desk policy? (Onsite paper destruction)

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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Why? (Clean Desk Policy & Document Shredding)

This is simple, if you do not have a clean desk policy and complete either onsite paper destruction or use an offsite paper shredding service you are increasing the amount of risk that your Organisation is subject to.

New Regulation (Encourage Onsite Paper Destruction)

With the introduction of The New General Data Protection Regulation this year, Organisations failing to appropriately manage their waste paper data and go on to experience a data breach can be subject to fines of up to 20 Million Euro in 2018.

With that said, the importance for Organisations to have appropriate procedures in place for waste document destruction has become a leading factor for senior management today. Examples of such systems would be an Offsite document shredding service, an offsite document destruction service, an onsite document destruction service or in-house paper shredding Ireland.

A Clean Desk Policy helps protect your Organisation, your clients and your reputation amongst the general public. Within all Organisations there is data the is “Sensitive in Nature” and most business activities require confidentiality. With everyone in the office having contact with certain information it is essential for them to protect that data from unauthorized access. Your Clean Desk Policy will help reduce the risk of information leaking from your Organisation and increase the overall data security making sure all unneeded information enters your offsite paper shredding service Ireland.

In addition to overall security through ensuring all waste paper is destroyed through your offsite document shredding service, studies have shown that when employees are in a clean work environment their work efficiency increases. This productivity increase will translate to your customers increasing their peace of mind and in turn potnetially increasing your client numbers.

When a client is aware of your procedures they will increase their trust in your Organisation as they know that no data will be left unattended and all data no longer required will be securely destroyed through your off site paper shredding service Ireland.

This is the third and final part of our three-part blog on constructing and implementing your clean desk policy. For more information upon Clean Desk Policies please contact one of our team at Security in Shredding, we are happy to be of help with this serious topic of Data Protection.

Contact info@securityinshredding.com

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Top Tips; Implementing a clean desk policy (Secure document destruction Ireland)

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Security in Shredding

During the implementation process it is important to have a clear confidential document shredding policy in place whether it is an onsite paper destruction system, a mobile paper shredding system, an off site shredding service or in-house shredding service the options are there to ensure compliance with Data Protection Legislation.

Our advice!

Your Clean Desk Policy must be put in writing

It is a good idea to clearly communicate the policy to all staff who are responsible for managing their confidential document shredding and management of their documents. We advise that you inform employees in writing as to how to follow your policy in addition to informing them why it is important to your Organisation. As Organisations deal with varying levels of sensitive information it is important to inform them as to the consequences if any member fails to comply with the policy and manage their onsite paper destruction effectively and securely.

Provide secure storage

(Data awaiting destruction through your mobile paper shredding service)

If you communicate your clean desk policy to all employees, you are on the right track for effective confidential document destruction management. One important factor to consider is the provision of secure storage containers. You cannot have a successful policy in place if your staff do not have anywhere available to them to store their sensitive documents that await the secure document destruction process. This point directly covered in the Data Protection Legislation in order to keep data safe and secure.

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Encourage electronic data Vs paper data usage

When staff are encouraged to use electronic copies vs printing hard paper copies of information while working, your Organisation will benefit. You will reduce your requirement for confidential document shredding within your office, reducing your business costs, helping the environment while also increasing overall data security.

Routinely complete full data back-ups.

This point is important for all business not only to maintain a Clean Desk Policy. However, when encouraging staff to complete their duties through electronic data forms to reduce the mobile paper shredding burden, it is essential to have an effective data backup system in place.

Finally, begin your communication from The Top!!

This Clean Desk Policy has to be complied with and understood to be serious. If senior management do not follow the policy and continue to have paper pilling up and not routinely destroying their documents through the onsite paper shredding service, why would any other employees?

So make sure to get full agreement from all senior management to ensure a successful policy implementation.

This is part two of a three-part blog providing information upon constructing, implementing and justifying your Clean Desk Policy. For any further information upon the Clean Desk Policy please contact one of our helpful team to go through the details and answer any possible queries you may have.

Contact: info@securityinshredding.com

Security in Shredding

Do’s and Don’ts – paper shredding service.

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Security in Shredding

When securely shredding your old paper data it is advisable to opt for a secure paper shredding service. Whether you are paper shredding Cork, Paper Shredding Galway or Paper shredding nationwide you should remember that a secure paper shredding service is best suited to save time, money and gives you peace of mind.

Paper Shredding Don’ts

Don’t be tricked into giving away confidential information. Don’t leave sensitive information lying around the office.
Don’t release your data to a general waste vendor unless they have independent certified credentials for their paper shredding service.
Make sure that it is only paper information that enters the paper shredding process, aerosol cans and batteries can cause a fire to occur during the paper shredding service and this is certainly something that you do not want to occur.
Do not remove paper clips and staples from the paper, a professional paper shredding service can handle these small items.
Do not always go with the cheapest option, Data Protection is such a serious topic today with fines of up to 20 million for data breaches, the cheapest service option may not have you compliant with the Law. In this case the risk cost associated with receiving the service far outweighs the savings you may make receiving the service.

Paper Shredding Do’s

Go through your paper files to double check what you are shredding when hiring a paper shredding service.
Make sure that you are receiving a paper shredding service that is certified for the European Standard EN 15713, this standard proves that the vendor has appropriate procedures in place to handle your paper data
Make sure that the paper shredding service vendor is certified for the shred sizes No.3 up to No.6 of EN 15713. Shredding service providers can receive certification for EN 15713 but not including the shred size certification means that they may not be destroying the paper beyond reconstruction. Please see table below detailing the shred sizes.

Shred-Size-Table

Paper shredding and data security is and on-going effort for all businesses and private individuals today. Data is here to stay and that means that the threats associated with it are here to stay too.

Stay safe and secure, the risk cost is well worth the effort for security.

For further information and on site paper shredding advise please contact one of our team at info@securityinshredding.com

Security in Shredding

Should I Use “On Site” Or “Off Site” Shredding Services

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Security in Shredding

To Shred Here or Over There?

Deciding weather your base of operation should avail for off-site or on-site shredding, there are a few key points to consider. The difference with off-site shredding than on-site is that material is transported in locked bags, usually in locked containers, to our secure shredding facility. On-site shredding or mobile shredding, our truck comes to you, and the paper is shredded right there on the premises.

Which Is More Secure?

Comparing the two methods: Which one is more secure? What is the most environmentally friendly choice? What does each cost? What’s right for my business?

All good questions, which hopefully we will shed some light on for you. Most importantly when choosing one of the two, the decision should and must be yours. The vendor will provide the best information regarding which process to choose. You know the business and which method suits you more.

Data protection is vital for business success and reputation. Data breaches can and will occur if businesses and organisations do not protect their data adequately. Our on-site and off-site shredding services are completely secure.

Our mobile Shredding unit is specially designed to handle and destroy your documents securely and confidentially on-site. Our off-site shredding is also done securely and all data is handled by or trained and screened staff.

Both methods are done securely where on-site will give you the added bonus of physically seeing your documents destroyed, giving you great piece of mind.

Does Your Location Suit?

Depending on your business location will effect weather or not on-site or off-site shredding is the correct method. Things to consider:

noise and air pollution from the truck if in built up area
Accessibility of the truck to your premises
The quantity of material to be shredded.

All our shredding services, we provide a certificate of destruction once the destruction process has being complete. Off-site shredding, is same day shred to ensure your data is protected at all times.

Off-site shredding might be a better option for other customers. When a company has a high volume of information to shred, a mobile shredder may be too time-consuming or too small to complete the job all at once. This is especially true when purging numerous boxes of archived records.

Van collection & same day shredding.

Each box must be emptied into a cart, each cart holds about eight boxes, and it takes two minutes to lift, dump and return the cart to the ground. All told it’s about five minutes to process a cart. (In this case, even if you normally have on-site service, having a staff person follow the truck to witness the shredding at our facility is worth considering.)

Shredding Event & recycling

Environmental Bounus

Choosing one of our shredding services will help benefit the environment. There is a greater pressure from EPA & Local Authorities etc, to issue reports to them. It is more than just document shredding, you are also benefiting the environment when choosing Security in shredding.

So Which One Is For You?

If you have a small to medium amount of confidential material on a regular basis, or when you purge, on-site may be the right choice. There may be an issue due to time or space limitations or noise or fumes. Then consider off-site shredding. As you can see, there are a number of factors, and it’s not really “one size fits all.”

For more information regarding any of our services or what can or cannot be shredded, then email us at: info@securityinshredding.com

Security in Shredding

EU & The Single Market

General Data Protection Regulation (Divergence of the Law?)

What does it mean?

Ten Top Tips for protecting sensitive data within your Organisation;

DO’s…

Don’ts….

Easy tips;

Do not provide personal info over the telephone

Failing to destroy old hard drives and computers

Protect your driver’s license

Protect your children’s personal information.

Secure your mailbox

Shredding paper Ireland

Phishing emails

Why? (Clean Desk Policy & Document Shredding)

New Regulation (Encourage Onsite Paper Destruction)

Our advice!

Your Clean Desk Policy must be put in writing

Provide secure storage

(Data awaiting destruction through your mobile paper shredding service)

Encourage electronic data Vs paper data usage

Routinely complete full data back-ups.

Finally, begin your communication from The Top!!

To Shred Here or Over There?

Does Your Location Suit?

Environmental Bounus

So Which One Is For You?