subject: Making The Office A Confidential Environment [print this page] Keeping personal details or classified business documents confidential is of the utmost importance. Privacy is paramount in all business sectors, whether it be the private or public sector, small or large corporations, as data privacy laws have pushed corporate responsibility to the forefront.
In order to keep your office a confidential environment, reducing the likelihood of identity theft or security breaches, it is important to bear in mind the following, to protect your company reputation and brand image:
Secure document shredding. Simply throwing confidential documents away is not enough to ensure that they are destroyed. Likewise, entrusting a member of staff to complete mass shredding, is not always the most secure way to protect clients personal details, as papers could be missed. Identity theft is rife in the media and as such, entrusting document destruction to an expert external contractor may prove the most safe option, as staff are fully vetted and trained in privacy policies. In addition, by employing the services of a secure shredding company, existing staff will have their time freed up for more pressing business matters - like making money for your company. Cost savings can also be had by using an expert shredder, as you will not have to purchase and maintain expensive shredding equipment.
Staff vetting and training. By ensuring that your staff are fully screened, you are helping to protect your business against confidential leaks, as well as establishing the character, capabilities, and risks associated with employing prospective staff members. Depending on the level and remit of your organisation, most prospective employees are amicable to background checks, as they become increasingly popular, particularly in high-paid or high-responsibility jobs.
Once employed, make sure to set out the firm's security policies to new staff members, training them on how to use the company's systems correctly, explaining data security policies, setting out best practise on internet policies and co-ordinating with staff on risk assessments.
Secure premises and storage. It may seem obvious, but making sure that your business premises are secure and in a safe location is paramount. Whilst business parks are a quiet and professional location, check that such locations are patrolled with security, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any business premises should have heavy duty locks, swipe card access and alarm systems where possible, to limit the possibility of intruders.
IT Security. Data security is an important part of keeping your business secure, so it is vital to outline IT security policy from the outset. Common IT security policies include having secure logins for each member of staff. Access controls are another tool of making sure that only certain members of staff in the business hierarchy see confidential information. Setting out what websites are acceptable in the workplace can be prudent, as unscrupulous sites or emails are a common way that viruses get into systems.
