Don’t Use Social Security Numbers
While most operations have stopped referring to employees, patients, and clients by their Social Security Number all together; these most valuable digits are still required on many forms, sitting in lots of files, entered into many databases or otherwise exposed. If you need this information, get it once, put it somewhere safe, and make sure you stop asking for it after you have it. Use of the last four digits is still commonplace, but this practice makes people nervous and could be costing your firm.
Avoid Wandering Eyes and Fingers
There are certain situations that you need to collect and use private information, such as loan or credit applications, but great care needs to be shown during the handling of this data. Restrict access of this data at all times whether physically (via locked doors or files), or electronically (via passwords and encryption).
Quick Tip: Don’t keep your password on a sticky note next to your keyboard. It’s not safe!
Avoid Multiple Copies (and Orphans)
How many forms does it take to get a deal done? Are there multiple copies made for the various departments and functions? Do they all need the sensitive data to do their work? How about the orphans—the deals that didn’t get done, but you still collected all the information and risk? Try tracking the paper that you create for a day or two to identify potential trouble spots.
Be Green, but Be Smart
Many of us see a blue recycle bin and want to save some trees; and there is nothing wrong with that. For this crowd, the good news is that any reputable shredding company (Corodata most certainly included) will be recycling your material after it is shred. If you choose the blue bin instead of the shred bin, the real bad news is that your information will most likely not be shred at all, and may travel the globe before it is reconstituted into another paper product—carrying all that private data along the entire way.
Protecting the identity of your employees, clients, patients, and more is a critical duty of any organization. The penalties and damage to a firm that fails can be staggering. Learn about solutions; such as
secure shredding and professional
off-site storage that will help prevent the majority of disclosures.
To find out more about what you need do to protect yourself,
request a free, in-office consultation with us.
Taking Control of Inactive Records with Corodata
Properly labeling and tracking inactive files, and moving them safely offsite, can save your company space, time and money; remove the threat of losing documents; providing easy retrieval of files when needed, and set your reputation as a secure company.
learn more
