Every business deals with confidential information on a daily basis, whether it’s client data, employee records, financial reports, etc. Protecting this information from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure is a legal obligation. In this blog, we highlight some reasons and the consequences of why you need to store and destroy your confidential documents and data securely.
To Comply with Data Protection Laws and Regulations. The UK has strict laws and regulations regarding the collection, processing, storage, and disposal of personal data, such as the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). These laws require businesses to implement appropriate measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal data, and dispose of it securely within the required retention timeframes. Failing to do so can result in hefty fines, legal actions, reputational damage, and loss of trust from stakeholders. For example, an English County Council was fined £100k after a data breach involving social care files containing personal details of more than 100 people were found in a disused building.
To Maintain your Professional Image. Your stakeholders trust you with their personal and sensitive information when they do business with you. They have an expectation that their data will be safeguarded and their privacy respected. However, paper documents can sometimes fall into the wrong hands if they are disposed of in the general office waste or discarded in a skip outside. This can damage your reputation and credibility as an organisation. For example, confidential police files, including 126 cases ranging from minor offences to serious crimes containing enough information to identify suspects, were found in a skip. An investigation was launched to discover how these documents escaped their usual procedure for shredding and disposing of documents.
To Prevent Identity Theft and Fraud. These are serious crimes that can have devastating consequences for both individuals and businesses. Identity thieves can use stolen personal or financial information to commit fraudulent activities in someone else’s name. Business can also suffer from identity theft and fraud if their confidential information is used by competitors or criminals. For example, in 2019, a former employee of Morrisons supermarket was jailed for eight years for stealing and leaking the payroll data of nearly 100,000 staff members.
To Avoid Criminal Charges and National Security Risks. Storing confidential documents insecurely can also expose you to criminal charges and national security risks if the documents contain classified information related to government or military affairs. For example, former US President Donald Trump was charged for allegedly storing more than 100 classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida. The accusation included photos showing boxes of documents stored in various rooms across his estate, including a bathroom and a ballroom.
Document security is a necessity that you can’t ignore. At L&R Storage, we offer comprehensive Document Management Solutions, including document storage and confidential shredding services. We have over two decades of experience in providing, professional, reliable and cost-effective solutions to businesses of all sizes in all sectors.
Contact us today through our Quick Quote Button to find out how we can help you protect your confidential information.