When you are running a business, you will find that there is confidential information all around you. From customer details to employee information, these all need to be handled with care and treated in the correct way to keep them safe, as confidential data is a prime target for thieves.
A security breach can not only be devastating for those involved, leading to details being stolen and even money being emptied out of bank accounts, but it can also damage your reputation as a business, making people less likely to trust you. Therefore, a lot of thought needs to be put into the correct procedures to follow when dealing with confidential data.
First of all, you need to have a policy in place so that employees are aware of what is classed as confidential data as well as how it is to be dealt with. For example, many businesses have a clean desk policy which helps to reduce data and security breaches.
This means that information cannot be left on desks where anyone would easily be able to see it.
Another thing that all staff need to be aware of is how to dispose of confidential data safely. Whether they have printed off an email that contains clients details, or you are having a big clear out of older documents, ensuring that they are correctly disposed of is essential.
Contact a company like this confidential shredding Birmingham based company www.printwaste.co.uk/confidential-shredding/confidential-shredding-birmingham that specialises in this. As well as being able to take away confidential materials, they will also provide you with lockable consoles which you can then store your unwanted documents in until they are collected, keeping them safe.
Another thing to be aware of are visitors who come to your business. You need to have a security policy to prevent data theft in this way. Having visitors sign in, ensuring that someone is escorting them around the premises and making sure that access to areas where there is confidential information are all things that can help to keep your premises and your data safe.
Access to information should also be limited within the workplace. Nobody who doesn’t need access to confidential data should have it. This reduces the risk of anything getting out by accident.
