Security has to be a top priority for any business or organisation, where it’s important that everyone feels safe to perform their responsibilities. In addition to keeping staff and customers protected, it is also essential to ensure that your data is secure, where any information breaches could be costly for your industry reputation.
Fortunately, there are lots of different ways that you can protect your data, where it is particularly important to handle physical paper copies with care. Investing in a high quality shredding service can give you lasting peace of mind when disposing of this kind of printed information, helping to reassure clients and customers alike that their data is safe.
Security shredding is a particular branch of document destruction, aimed at providing the highest level of protection for sensitive data. As such, these services are usually chosen by industries that require top levels of security for legal compliance.
Read on to find out more about why security shredding is so vital, with a look at the various benefits of choosing this specialist service.
Top Businesses Where Privacy Is Paramount
A variety of commercial sectors require shredding services in order to comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), and so that they can maintain strict industry standards.
Some key enterprises that come under this category include:
Law Firms - Legal professionals must always be careful with how they handle their client’s information, as privacy is essential for maintaining lawyer-client privilege limitations. Law firms will each have their own data handling policies to ensure that these procedures are upheld.
Finance & Accounting - Banks and accounting firms handle sensitive customer data on a daily basis, where this includes specific card details, addresses, and information about private transactions. As such, any printed details must be shredded in a secure manner.
Healthcare - The healthcare industry also handles large quantities of sensitive information, where this category includes NHS facilities as well as private healthcare providers. Details concerning patient history, medical records and insurance must all be kept secure so that data protection legalities are upheld.
Government Services - Various public sector and state run industries must handle confidential information with care. This will include branches of the civil service, as well as social workers and defence professionals. Data breaches could compromise national security as well as the wellbeing of individuals, so secure shredding is a must in these cases.
Education - In an education setting, confidential information relating to young people and their families must also be carefully handled. Additionally, student records at universities should also be kept secure, where this can include academic timetables and financial information.
How Does Secure Shredding Work?
Secure shredding provides an additional level of protection compared to traditional shredding methods, which are usually carried out in-house using rudimentary equipment.
For businesses where GDPR is a top priority, ensuring that documents are completely destroyed is essential, where this level of security can be provided by a specialist shredding company.
The secure shredding process involves the following stages:
Collections
Your shredding company will collect sensitive documents from your facility, which helps to prevent data from being lost or misplaced in transit. They will provide you with lockable bins, sealed bags or enclosed containers to store your materials, where this helps to heighten security at this initial stage.
Transportation
These containers will then be loaded into a transportation vehicle so that your documents can be taken to a secure shredding facility. All drivers will be fully security vetted for this role, and trucks will also be GPS tracked and alarmed in order to prevent breaches.
Shredding
Once the containers are offloaded at the shredding facility, they will then be destroyed in accordance with EN15713 standards. Personnel working within the shredding facility will also be security vetted, where they will have signed a confidentiality agreement to work within this setting.
Certification
When your documents have been securely shredded, you will be awarded an official certificate of destruction from your shredding company. This may need to be retained in your filing system in order to comply with GDPR, where the paperworks acts as a guarantee that all data has been handled correctly.
Recycling
As a final step, the remains of your shredded documents will then be sent to an approved recycling centre to be processed. This helps to ensure that your company’s environmental impact and carbon footprint is kept to a minimum.
The Benefits Of Secure Shredding Services
There are numerous reasons why secure shredding is so vital when it comes to maintaining privacy. For businesses such as healthcare facilities, law firms and government agencies, data protection is of absolute importance, as any breaches can compromise security and seriously impact the lives of customers.
Some of the benefits of working with a secure shredding service are discussed below:
Identity Theft & Fraud Prevention
One of the main reasons to be so strict about data protection is that mishandling customer details can open up opportunities for criminal activity. For instance, names, addresses and financial details can all be used for phishing schemes or fraudulent activity, where identity theft can also be a serious risk factor.
Compliance
For many businesses, strict data handling policies are in place to ensure that sensitive information is secure. Most companies will be following GDPR, where secure shredding is important to make sure that these regulations are met properly. If data is mishandled, then companies could be liable to legal or financial penalties as a result.
Company Reputation
If private data is mishandled or lost, then this can quickly become a high profile issue, undermining the reputation of the company in question. For instance, if a large bank has a data leak, then customers may be put off from working with them in future, leading to huge financial ramifications for the company. As such, it is important that all information is disposed of properly to avoid this.
Sustainability
Most specialist shredding companies prioritise recycling across their waste handling initiatives. This means that once your documents have been destroyed, these materials will be repurposed, helping to promote a circular economy. Ensuring that your paperwork ends up being recycled is essential if you’re looking to promote sustainability across your operations, where this is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Efficient Waste Disposal
Working with a professional shredding company can help you to save time and improve efficiency throughout your company. This is because you will be able to conserve resources by outsourcing to a specialist. Dedicated shredding companies will also handle materials in bulk, ensuring that sensitive information is disposed of correctly but also in higher volumes than you would be able to handle yourself.
Highlander Security Shredding: Secure Document Destruction For Your Business
We provide a specialist security shredding service for businesses, ensuring that all your confidential information is handled with care.
Our team works in compliance with current Data Protection legislation at every stage of the document shredding process, where we’re fully accredited to ISO27001 for Information Security management. Additionally, we aim to shred your documents within 24 hours of collection, with each piece of paper destroyed according to EN15713 standards and procedures.
Further to our paper shredding work, we also offer glass and cardboard recycling to help your business to meet its sustainability targets.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about our secure shredding services, or to enquire about our broader waste handling initiatives.
Comments