The world is quickly changing at a very fast pace. The world can’t adapt according to us, but we have to metamorphosis ourselves into the advanced environment. Talking specifically about businesses, the way they are done today is totally different from what it was decades ago.

Businesses have witnessed increased competition, challenges, advancements, technologies, and whatnot. The rate at which workplaces are developing globally is phenomenal. The increase in productivity Results from faster, dynamic, and smarter working facilities.

But with boons come the banes. As the atmosphere at the workplace is changing, so are the protection measures. Nowadays, security is essential for protecting confidential information and private client data.

Well, now you may assume that incorporating heavy lockers and closed chambers is enough for storing documents. But that’s not exactly the right way. There are a lot many things and ways of protecting data.

Keep reading to find out why and how corporate can protect the information without compromising productivity.

Table of contents

Understanding information security

Information security, in simple words, means to secure confidential and treasured data from unauthorized users. Any unwanted access can lead to misuse in the working system along with tarnishing client reputation.

There are three Thumb rules followed in information security- integrity, availability, and confidentiality. Every information security program should be built in a way to achieve these principles.

A data breach or information theft is not a good sign for any leading Corporation or small business. It harms your social image and depletes the market value significantly.

So now, we will discuss some of the stats to understand how information theft can seriously affect your business.

Recent stats on data breaches

In the past decade, the massive increase in security breaches has made big headlines in the world. Global leaders and company groups have become concerned about such regular breaches and risks associated with them. A regular theft or breach can severely damage the company’s reputation, downfall in the business market, drop in customer count, and liabilities on legal grounds.

The year 2020 has witnessed some of the worst breaches of all time.

  • The Microsoft Corporation database holding over 280 million customer records like email address, IP address, and support case details were exposed on the web.
  • The Fifth Third bank’s ex-employee recently exposed the customer details like name, Social Security number, driver's license information, address, phone number, date of birth, and account numbers. The total number of affected individuals is not disclosed yet.
  • In March 2020, the US pharmacy named Walgreens suffered an error in the messaging feature of the mobile application. The personal messages, prescription numbers, names of drugs, user names, store names and numbers, shipping addresses, and more were revealed.
  • San Francisco international airport had their worst nightmares. The two websites hosted by the airport suffered a security issue when hackers injected malicious software. The username and passwords used to log in to the site was stolen and stored.
  • Dental Care Alliance suffered a cyberattack in December 2020. It led to the leakage of personal medical data of more than ten lakh patients. Sensitive data such as bank account numbers, billing information, account details, addresses, and dental diagnosis treatment information was leaked.
  • In October 2020, Pfizer leaked the medical information of patients undergoing cancer drug treatment. The Google Cloud somehow exposed the details of patients like phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, customer support messages, health data, medical status, and prescription information.

According to the Ponemon Institute, the possibility of a data breach is one out of four chances. Around 71% of the organization's chiefs believe that the biggest compromise on security-based issues is the loss of reputation and business value.

You might be thinking that many businesses around the world will invest in enhancing security management and regulating policies. But that is not right. Industries do not invest in ensuring total security of the organizational data. Only 31% of companies have proper and formal cybersecurity policies. Many high-profile executives believe that data loss does not impact their business or growth. Many US, UK, and Canada-based industry owners have de-prioritized security on information and clients' data.

This is shocking, but the truth. It is lack of awareness and human ignorance that workers at organizations do not believe in data breaches. The legal liabilities can make the life of the organization very difficult. The average cost of a data breach is $3.62 million, and the increase in breach percentage is by 1.8%.

Why do you need the security of information?

Information security is not just about providing a safe environment for confidential and protective data but also saving your client's trust. Data theft affects business and loss of reputation enormously. In addition to that, the company falls into legal traps. The lawful proceedings can begin after finding an organization guilty. The vulnerabilities in a business data theft and the breach has increased with the rise in usage of electronic devices and storage of data.

The undisguised cause for unprotected data is the lack of awareness of the privacy policies and methodologies to protect them. Being uneducated or unaware of the legal policy does not save you from legal actions. Companies are a hundred percent responsible for the unsafe handling of confidential data.

There are government and general guidelines for data protection. General Data Protection Rule (GDPR) is one such regulation to look over data management and security. There are some policies by the business houses and by the government to regulate the strict enforcement of privacy rules.

With the rise in digitalization, privacy laws are modified regularly and enacted accordingly. Better safeguard and protection measures are adopted by businesses to move along these changes. It plays a significant impact on the lives of both customers and the data controllers.

Some privacy protection practices could save you from any possible trouble.

1. Total awareness

Being up to date about the policies and lawful enactments regarding data privacy and protection. Keep your staff and yourself well-informed about the legal penalties on failing the protection laws. Read more on the web about the latest breaches in companies. Understand the loopholes and weak areas.

2. Devising privacy laws

Companies should set up their own set of privacy rules for both documentation on paper and electronic devices. Development of proper regulation policies can save the company from the hefty penalty and legal proceedings.

3. Staff training

Regular workshops and meetings about the management and handling of confidential documentation at the workplace are salient. Constant reminding of the security of data will alert them to work accordingly.

4. Restriction to access

All the paper documents in the office premises should not be accessible to everyone. Design a proper authorization protocol to allow access to a specific set of people. Keep a maintenance register about file accession by an authorized worker along with time and date details.

5. Eliminate risks

Adopt the most secure and safe methods to get rid of unwanted paper documents and electronic devices. The mountainous piles of confidential documents lying around in the office should be scrapped down using shredding trucks. EndoShred can help you to get through the clean desk policy instantly. We protect in the best possible ways.

6. Learn from mistakes

If your company already happens to be the victim of an information security breach then you must take extra precautions. Getting targeted by law administration repetitively is not a good sign for any firm. Take a lesson from any such past experience. Develop a positive environment along with powerful policies.

Information security without compromise in productivity

You need to implement new effective measures to encounter the data theft issues. Frame working patterns that maximizes the Information security without any compromise on productivity. We will now discuss some of the very effective methods.

1. Secure Hard Copies

Often the office workers forget the confidential documents at the printing tray, cafeteria or any other public space. The vulnerabilities of a document theft from such an ignorant human error are high. Therefore, keeping a track of the number of hard copy files and securing them safely into the EndoShred locker console is necessary. This way you could get rid of all the unwanted data files without affecting work productivity.

2. Secure Electronic devices

Most of the workspace has shifted work from paper to technology. Hardware has become a source of confidential data possessor. Devices such as hard disks often retain business-related information and clients' private data. Any hardware that holds essential data must be destructed 100% when not in use. The permanent solution is to break it down to the tiniest bits, including the memory sticks.

3. Update Policies

Designing effective and up-to-date policies is the key to smooth data security. Keep on upgrading the rules according to the latest regulations by the governing bodies. Do not just write the rules and forget about it later.

4. Effective Training

Human error and negligence is a major cause for most of the data breaches. Make sure that the employees responsible for securing information and documents are well-trained. Regular meetings and updates on privacy can lead to a protected environment in the workplace. Conducting workshops and seminars to understand the technical aspects of data confidentiality can be helpful too.

5. Secured accessing devices

Most of the companies believe in the policy of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Around 61% of small businesses and 54% of the large businesses grant permission to access company details from the personal systems of the workers. These stats reveal the dependency of the organization on worker's devices. It should be avoided because managing and ensuring protected access is quite a difficult job. Instead, Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) Policy can be introduced for greater data security. This policy allows your staff to pick any devices from the list of available devices.

6. Work outside office

Workers taking the job to their home are, of course, the most dedicated ones. However, it is also crucial to regulate the translocation of documents and devices from office to home. It is better to disallow the movement of confidential data from the office to any other place. If the workers and staff are persistent to carry the work, then make sure that privacy protection protocols are adopted by them at home as well.

7. Malicious Software

Many workers are unaware that there are pirated and impostor applications on the website. Unknowingly, they may download it in their systems. These fake applications can severely affect content security on the devices. The unapproved application should be refrained from downloading. Always make sure of the software used on the devices from which office data is attained.

8. Clear roles on security

The casual behavior of employees regarding Information security at the office can bring significant risks. Each one has to realize that accessing secure information from their phones and personal networks can lead to data breaches. IT department should take full responsibility for limiting the access to unsecured networks. Boosting policies and polishing security regulations can improve business growth.

Improving Information Security without compromise on productivity with EndoShred

Vulnerabilities to privacy protection

There are countless threats in the organization and outside the organization that could affect your business growth. Some of the vulnerabilities that you should take care of to prevent privacy threats are discussed in detail.

1. Loss of computer system/laptop

It is common for devices to get stolen from organizations. Around 39% of stealing occurs from the worker's desk area and 34% from the vehicles.

Stealing a laptop or device from a worker is a threat to the company's information and data. Direct control is lost. Only 33% of the devices are encrypted for securing them from malicious hackers. Only a few companies have provisions to wipe data from lost devices.

2. Mobile phone theft

The mobile security breach is also a convenient method to steal private data. One in every five organizations experiences a mobile breach through malware and faulty Wi-Fi connection.

Workers save sensitive customer information on their devices like mobile phones. Only a few employees take the necessary measures to protect the data and devices. Keeping their smartphones locked by password is a notable technique for protection from invasion.

3. Password protection

Around 80% of the breaches have occurred due to weak passwords or password being appropriately guest by the hackers. It is the most common and popular method for breaching into protected documents.

Employees should avoid using easy passwords Such as names and dates of birth. Writing a password on paper or any other space in public is also a bad idea. A weak password is a better way to breach rather than stealing devices.

4. Insecure network access

Employees working outside the office premises commit the silliest mistakes. The cafeteria Wi-Fi network, which is public, should not be used for business work. 78% of employees do critical business tasks at coffee shops, which can be harmful.

Since the workforce is high, carrying work to different places is the only way to meet the demand. 93% of companies believed that they were concerned about the security challenges associated with mobile work.

5. Cloud computing security

Most of the data stored in the cloud are vulnerable to theft. 70% of the cybersecurity experts are worried about the private data locked in the cloud computing systems. The services of the cloud- file sharing are not optimally secure. 30% of security breaches occurred from data centres and cloud services.

6. Devices used for work

More than half of the workers using their own devices download unsafe applications and content on their devices. It could invite unwanted malicious programs in the device. The same device, which has access to the organization's personal information, should be avoided from similar downloads. Dedicating specific devices only for work can solve the breaching problem to a great extent.

How to improve information security

Do you really wish to save yourself from the legal trap of any data mishandling? If yes, then you should take the task of protecting the data very seriously. First of all, clear your head and realize that data breaches do occur. It occurs in almost every organization in the world and very frequently. It severely tarnishes the company’s reputation and brand value.

Now your job is to enhance the protection policies without compromising on productivity. Despite the growing risks and threats, effective steps should be taken, to save your company from crippling down. Data breaches and theft can be prevented only by regular security assessments.

Along with it, adopting security measures and developing effective policies can ensure the safety at work. If the staff is well-trained and understands the legal guidelines along with safety regulations and rules, then you need to worry a little less. If they don’t know, conduct seminars and workshops on protection training. Update your policies and keep them regulated. Positive benefits can be seen within a few months of implementing healthy privacy protection culture.

You can immediately start your security assessment and identify the loopholes and vulnerabilities of your company. Instantly proceed to take measures by collaborating with us at EndoShred. Eliminate all the vulnerabilities and satisfy yourself with the best customer services.

How EndoShred secures Information

EndoShred is the single and complete solution provider platform for establishing information security at your workplace. We provide the following destruction services.

  • Confidential documents and paper shredding
  • Destruction of hard disks and electronic devices

How we work?

  • Install our locker consoles at your office.
  • Put all the unwanted and undesirable files and documents inside the locker.
  • Let it fill till the top until the alarm for a service is raised.
  • Our trained experts will come to the office with the shredding trucks on your call.
  • The filled consoles are emptied into the shredding trucks.
  • Tonnes of paper is shredded to tiny bits within an hour.
  • You are welcome to watch this process with your own eyes.
  • At the end of the service, a certificate validating the number of documents processed and 100% destruction is provided.

Why we are special?

  • Certification for guaranteed destruction after every service
  • Secure and safe method of destruction
  • Customized solutions according to your needs
  • Schedule work as per your convenience
  • Trained experts carry out the task

We are the best shredders with guaranteed security and customer-friendly services. We promise to deliver the task with utmost dedication with our trained experts in Information Technology. We are available 24*7 at your service. Give us a call now and book a date to manage your unorganized data.