In the early 2000s there was a lot of hype regarding the new digital age and how this would lead to a paperless society. This would be better for the environment and make businesses more streamlined and efficient.
While there has certainly been a move toward disbanding paper usage, we are still a long way from a real paperless society. Paperwork is still an intrinsic part of any office.
Of course, where there is paper there is likely to be personal information. That means you can’t simply throw the paperwork in the bin. There are too many cases of identity theft already. The last thing anyone should be doing is making it even easier to get personal information.
That’s why you need to implement the following four techniques to ensure document security:
- Invest In A Shredder
The first thing you should do is invest in a shredder. But, there are many different types of shredders. You need the best security shredders to be confident that you have correctly destroyed any document.
Security shredders are designed to cut the document into thin slices and will cut horizontally as well as vertically. This makes it very difficult to piece anything back together.
Cheaper shredders won’t cut both ways and may use wider sections, making it comparatively easy to steal your information.
- Redesign Forms
It’s worth taking a minute to look at the forms you currently use and decide f all the information on them is really needed. After all, the less information you take from people the easier it is to dispose of it safely without sharing their details.
Whilst some items must be recorded, there are plenty that can be left off or stored as a code. That immediately reduces the risk of paper storage and disposal.
- Locked Storage
Plenty of paperwork can be destroyed once t has been processed. But, there are also items that need to be kept to provide records and guarantees for the future.
In general, it is less likely that someone will break into your office to steal personal information. However, you need to take every precaution possible. That means investing in a locked storage cabinet and keeping all paperwork in it.
This will reduce the risk of it being stolen or accidentally accessed.
- Revise Your Server Security
You probably store information on your servers and then may simply forget about it. However, servers are generally online to facilitate access to company systems when working remotely. This means that others can hack their way into your system. While this may seem unlikely it is a possibility and one that you need to take seriously.
In short, get an expert to revise your encryption and security on the servers. You’ll want to pay particular attention to password access and how often the passwords are changed.
It’s relatively simple to adjust the security of your system and help to improve document security. That’s better for your reputation and for customer satisfaction.