Is it time to declutter your office?

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Security in Shredding

A cluttered office can negatively influence the drive and productivity of employees. Disorder also means that confidential information will be exposed very simply by just being left out where anyone can see.

An orderly office can actually enhance employee productivity as employees should feel more confident and in control.

Here are some tips to declutter your office space and better safeguard confidential data:

Allocate specific space for personal items such as bags/coats etc.
Clear your desk and only have the absolute necessities for your workday within reach.
Declutter by asking the question “Does this have a use?” and be brutal. If it does not have a specific reason to be there then clear it from your space.
Do not stockpile items such as hard drives etc. When you get a new hard drive, destroy the old one.
Have a specific place for incoming documents that require processing. Paper trays are useful for this.
Organise all digital data into folders and categories too, a cluttered computer can be just as stressful as a desk full of papers.
Schedule in a regular shredding service or request on demand shredding depending on how much paperwork builds up and how regularly.
Sticky notes are super handy and I have to admit I use them all the time however where possible digital reminders for events and notes are tidier and more secure.
Where possible convert your documents to digital format and put paper into protected consoles for secure destruction or locked filing cabinets when it is necessary to keep them.

Some People do thrive in the chaos and clutter however, most would say that a clean working environment equates to a tidy mind. Not only that, it is also safer for the protection of information within your company.

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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.

4 Steps to Avoid Mistakes in Physical Data Management

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Security in Shredding

Recently we have been discussing in detail the risks associated with digital devices and cyber security however physical documentation needs to be secure too and there are some measures you can put in place to ensure this is paramount.

1. Index your files

The majority of the files that your business will gather over time may never even be used or accessed after a certain length of time. Having an indexing system in place will allow you to keep track of each and every document, when they are received and what purpose they serve for the company. It will be convenient for finding and accessing documents efficiently.

2. Retention & Disposal Schedules

Included with your indexing system you can schedule each documents lifespan. The recommended maximum time to keep most documentation is seven years however this will depend on the individual document. Therefore, when you index each file add an end date. It will allow you to quickly find anything you need. It will also assist you in removing the clutter of documents you no longer need and keep you compliant with the ‘EU General Data Protection Regulation’ (GDPR)

3. Storage

Use document storage boxes which are secure and locked. Taking all of these precautions and then having a filing cabinet which is open and accessible to anyone and everyone will just undermine any security measures you have put in place.

4. Shredding

Last but not least is your method of destruction once your documents have reached their use by date. You will need to decide what kind of service best suits you; onsite shredding or offsite shredding. Having your secure paper shredding service scheduled regularly can be convenient. Just contact us and we can discuss what option would suit you best.

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Getting Ready for 2020

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Security in Shredding

2020 is fast approaching. Rather than leaving things to the last minute, now is the time to begin your end of year clear-out. What needs to be shredded and what needs to be kept in storage? As a general rule, older archives past the 7-year date mark should be destroyed. This whole process can be overwhelming and time consuming however in order to keep the procedure as time efficient and simple as possible there are a few questions you should ask yourself.

What is the type of data?
Why do you have it? Do you really need it? Is it easy to get that information again if you need it down the line?
Where is it kept? Is it kept in filing cabinets? Or is it digitally saved?
When was it acquired? Has it been over 7 years ago? Is it time to remove it from your records?
Who has access to it?

Answering these questions should provide you with the necessary solutions you need in order to keep compliant with the GDPR. When asking yourself these questions it is important to consider all forms of data; confidential paper, hard-drives and media devices, or branded products such as business cards or uniforms etc. Once all this is organised it is time to contact your trusted shredding company who can provide you with options for the certified destruction of your data.

The sooner you begin; the sooner you are ready for the new year.

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Cyber Security – What can you do?

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Security in Shredding

As important as ensuring your physical data is kept secure through a paper shredding service, digital data security needs to be managed. Everything in today’s world is online from business to leisure. Most of our days are spent connected to some network or another, in front of one screen or another. Data is our most valuable resource. For a business data is customer information which needs to be protected. Why would anyone choose to frequent a business or establishment that has zero ability to keep their information safe and secure? There are a number of things that can be done in order to ensure that this is achieved. Some may seem obvious and simple but may be the difference between success and failure.

1. Firewall & Virus Protection

Always have a strong firewall and virus protection on your computers and devices that connect to the internet. A hacker is a person who uses computing devices to gain unauthorised access to data. If a hacker breaks through any defences you have, they not only will have access to what you do or say online but also to every file on your PC and every keystroke you make.

2. Strong Passwords

Passwords should not be obvious and the best passwords are random letters and symbols. They shouldn’t be written down anywhere. It is also recommended to use a different password for every account or device you use. However, remembering all these random letters and symbols can be impossible for most people, password managers are useful in this situation. They pose their own risks too however.

3. Avoid Public Wi-Fi

If at all possible do not use public Wi-Fi. It is not secure enough. When out and about its best to have Wi-Fi switched off on your phone, some phones scan for Wi-Fi networks even when it seems to be switched off so make sure your settings are all correct. However, bringing your laptop to Starbucks and conducting business can be comfortable and convenient on the go. If you really must use public Wi-Fi try to find a good VPN. A VPN will allow you to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if you are directly connected to your private network.

4. Share less on Social Media

Sharing personal information on social media is a sometimes overlooked method of staying secure. While you may not post things such as your home address or personal email address, depending on your settings you may be revealing all of this information without even realising. Check your settings on whatever platform you use and make sure all your privacy settings are up to the standard you require.

5. Hard-Drive and Media Destruction

Even when you have deleted a file or an app on your phone or PC that information still exists. Hard drives are recoverable even when they have been completely wiped. When you are destroying data devices formatting them just won’t cut it. Old and unused data devices should be destroyed through a hard-drive shredding service. Security in Shredding provide a nationwide Hard-Drive shredding service. This will cover the destruction of most media devices; phones, hard-drives, USB sticks, CD’s, floppy discs etc. Just throwing these out as they are will make you vulnerable.

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Benefits of Hard Drive Destruction

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Security in Shredding

Small and large businesses, medical offices, government agencies, and many other organisations have one thing in common, they all use computers on an everyday basis sharing, creating, storing, and emailing sensitive information. As technology expands, electronic data keeping is drastically increasing. There is so much information being passed around online and saved on hard drives, you need to be confident that your data is safe and there is no chance for exposure. If you have been in business for a long time, the key to success is keeping up with the technology. If equipment comes into damage then you may need to replace it, therefore you are going to have hard drives lying around which is never a good thing. Secure hard drive disposal should be your priority. While it may seem more cost-effective to get rid of the hard drive yourself by throwing it away, you can then at risk of confidential data been retrieved and used, therefore it is crucial it is destructed of the right way. Throwing it does not provide protection to your employees, your clients, and your company. The most secure method of hard drive destruction is hiring a professional company who specialises in the right destruction of electronic data storage media.

Read on to find out the many benefits of Hard Drive Destruction:

Peace of Mind

The appropriate destruction of your sensitive information can give you peace of mind that it is disposed of the right way. You will not have to worry about been high risk for costly data breaches. For the ultimate peace of mind Hire the best, reliable, trusted, and quality company to destroy your hard drives efficiently. There is no way a breach can occur so protect your business at all times.

Follows the compliance legislation

It is imperative that you dispose of sensitive data the right way due to the privacy legislation like FACTA and HIPAA. Hard drive destruction is under these legislations. By following these legislations your company will remain in compliance with privacy laws.

It frees up office space

Keeping and storing old hard drives in your office can take up a lot of valuable space. Free up office space quickly and save a lot of time by hiring a professional hard drive destruction company to do the job for you quickly and safely.

All data is fully removed

Data is easily retrievable from erased hard drives, somewhat damaged hard drives, and even thrown away ones. Physical destruction of a hard drive is the only way to securely destroy and make data never to be recovered. It is highly vital that this procedure is completed correctly by a professional company.

Why choose Security in Shredding for your Hard Drive Destruction?

We can dispose and destroy your old hard drive in a professional and compliant manner.
Our hard drive destruction methods will ensure complete peace of mind that your data and privacy information is completely destroyed and not retrievable.
We record all items that are destructed and all clients will receive a detailed report for full traceability of their hard drive.
We can take the pressure off your shoulders and do the job hassle free for you.
Our destruction services are carried out by trained and fully qualified specialists that you can rely on.
Our professionalism and expertise are second to none.
All our services are in compliance with the hazardous and the WEEE directive waste regulations.
Security and safety of your belongings is our number one priority.

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Do Irish Companies need a Data Protection Officer? – Companies Ireland

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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Image source: gdpr-info

Companies in Ireland – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Within the EU GDPR there is a mandate for certain companies including specific Companies operating in Ireland that a Data Protection Officer is appointed within their business.

This Data Protection Officer will be the “go to” person within Irish companies and will manage the responsibility for Data Protection Compliance.

Responsibilities for the Data Protection Officer include but are not limited to;

Monitoring the company’s compliance with The Data Protection Law, managing training of staff for data protection and carrying out audits within the Organisation.
Providing advice to the Organisation relating to their obligations under the GDPR
Acting as the main contact point within the Organisation for the local Data Protection Authority (The Data Protection Commissioner)

Not all Irish companies will require to have an appointed DPO.

The circumstances listed below will require companies in Ireland will have a DPO;

Public Authorities processing public data (except for courts in their judicial capacity)
The Company in Ireland has a core activity which involve data processing operations and “require regular monitoring of data subjects on a large scale
The core activities of the organisation involve the processing of sensitive personal data on a large scale.

The specific size of the above listed processing activity is not detailed within the GDPR. There is not identifiable cut off point but it would be advised that Irish Companies to act on the side of caution rather than face the extreme financial sanctions for breaking the Law.

Under Article 58 of the GDPR, in Ireland, the Office of The Data Protection Commissioner will be able to fine Irish companies who are found guilty of a data breach. Article 58 does not differentiate between an accidental breach and a deliberate breach. Fines for a data breach have been increased to a maximum of 20 million Euro or 4% of their global turnover, whichever is the larger.

If there was ever an appropriate time for Irish Companies to review all of their data processing activities, identify to whom they are releasing data to both digital data and paper data, it is now before the fines are in place and enforced.

Within the GDPR, a single DPO can represent multiple organisations and does not have to be a member of staff belonging to the specific Company. Therefore, several organisations can collectively appoint one DPO to represent their combined interests.

Currently it is clear to see through research conducted that the expected compliance is not matched by the level of knowledge and awareness within the market. An underestimated figure of 28,000 Data Protection Officers will need to be appointed throughout Europe before the GDPR becomes law.

For more information upon compliance with the GDPR please contact the Security in Shredding team for assistance.

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Five tips for Data Protection Compliance

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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With the introduction of The General Data Protection Regulation this year it is essential for Organisations to know that they are complying with the legislation. The first step in compliance is awareness and this article will give a brief overview of some tips to take into account to protect your Organisation. From data consent to third party data processing such as a confidential paper shredding service, I aim to guide you in the right direction.

A. Consent

Always obtain the data subjects consent prior to holding or using their personal data. All forms both physical and web-based which are designed to gather personal information should contain a statement detailing what the information is to be used for.

B. Sensitive data

When dealing with sensitive personal (race, political opinion, mental health etc.) data additional measures should be in place to ensure the security of the data. When this data has reached its end of life always securely destroy the data through a paper shredding service.

C. Individual rights

Be aware of individual’s rights when dealing with information held upon them. If preparing reports always be aware that individuals have the right to see all personal data held about them which also includes emails and informal notes that have not gone through your document shredding service in place.

D. Review files

Data should only be retained when and where absolutely necessary. Securely disposal of the data once it is no longer required through an onsite paper shredding service and/or an offsite shredding service with a data processing firm and under contract. Establish and record regular reviews of the data in your control.

E. Secure disposal of records

When discarding waste data in paper format it is imperative to treat them confidentially. Never discard end of life data with conventional recycling streams. Waste paper data is not the same as general sorted office waste (SOW) before it is destroyed due to the fines and penalties attached to them for a breach. Always hire a professional paper shredding company to secure shred all documents and receive a certificate of data processing. The same applies to waste electronic data carriers such as hard-drives, always securely destroy them through a hard drive shredding service.

For any advice upon data protection and making your Organisation compliant please do not hesitate to contact one of our team through our website www.securityinshredding.com.

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Identity theft – stats, tips and how to protect your information

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Security in Shredding

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Paper shredding in Ireland is a growing industry sector and for good reason. Approximately 7% of all adults within the US have their identities misused with substantial financial losses equating to approximately €3,000.

Close to 100 million additional people have their personal identifying information put at risk of identity theft each year when records from Government & Corporate databases are misplaced or stolen. It makes total sense to see secure, professional, and regulated destruction services being introduced and increased in Ireland. Services such as on site document shredding, clear out shredding, purge clear out services and off-site document shredding services are there for all Corporates and Governments to implement to protect your and my identity.

The level of sophistication used by organised crime to facilitate identity theft is ever increasing. Examples of such sophistication to name but a few are; tailored vishing scams, hacks of corporate and government databases to elaborate bots designed to hack your computer without leaving a trace.

Image source: prince.org

The more historic/basic methods of identity theft are still out there with high numbers of people being a victim of. Simply pick pocketing wallets, going through your waste bins for sensitive paper, following waste trucks to sift through the waste material for paper and social engineering to trick innocent people into releasing personal information still work and work well.

Within this article, I will highlight some of the straightforward ways you can have your identity stolen with the hope that I can help some potentially targeted people in protecting their identity. There are also some tips to protect yourself when possible.

How you can be a victim

People going through a pharmacy waste bin, unfortunately not all pharmacies avail of offsite document shredding services and their bins can contain significant amounts of personal information.
People hacking into GP records, health records from a doctor’s office contain vital personal information. Many identity thieves will try to hack medical facilities electronic health records.
Never use your place of birth as your security question, it is easy to find out this information.
RFID scanner, many credit and debit cards are enabled for contactless payments. Yes, this is convenient but if a thief can get close enough to you he/she can make a convenient withdrawal at your expense.
Using camera phones, always be careful when you are in a situation where you need to show personal details and information, a camera phone could be watching you.
Accepting strange friend request on social media, if you do not know who they are, our advice does not accept.
Leaving bills in your mailbox for pickup, always deliver your bill personally
Putting cheques in the mail, if required always place additional paper within the envelope so the data cannot be seen under lights.
Never changing your passwords, you should always change your password at least once a year.
Failing to consider once off credit cards, it is a good idea if you are not a regular online shopper.
Leaving receipts behind, you should always take your receipts with you even if it only shows the last four digits of your account number.

For more tips to stay safe please contact one of our team at info@securityinshredding.com

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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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Image source: siliconrepublic

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.

Image source: bimetica

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.

Image source: biopharma-reporter

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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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

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