Information security has become a serious concern for all. As the world is progressing towards the digitalization of every classified data, the trouble gets real.

When we think of security, the only idea that occupies our headspace is the safety of online information or passwords, financial details, or any other legal confidential data. But, we often tend to overlook a very crucial fact. Every data for once in their life exists as a hard copy. The private documents paper either exists as a draft, storage file or shared with workspace colleagues, and so on.

Therefore, securing the digital platform from any breach is no securing at all. In fact, violations in the digital arena are way simpler than the breach in office. The documents in paper format should be stored and protected in a better way through proper management. 

Table of Content

Brief Overview

Today we shall briefly discuss the important aspect of protected document management at the workplace. The paperwork is tricky to manage. The safe placements of data files within offices is not an easy job. You never know who could cause a nuisance in your organization.

Being a responsible worker of your company, you should know how to manage the papers well. If you are the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or the Information Security Officer (ISO), then be a little more careful about it. Data controllers are equally liable as the data processors in case of a data breach.

Ponemon Institute is a trustworthy name when it comes to conducting research and study about data protection and information technology. It is one of the leading organizations to conduct surveys to identify the risks and vulnerabilities the company might face due to insecure confidential information. Ponemon Institute conducted a study to research the risk factors associated with paper based confidential information.

The summary of the report tells about the real risks that an organization may face due to poor regulation of printed documents that contain private data. We have also mentioned the tips that might protect you from any danger in the future.

Introduction

It might come as a surprise to you, but most of the data breaches or cyber-attacks happen due to poor management within the workspace. No sophistication or training is required to steal from an organization. It happens due to the carelessness of employees when they leave sensitive documents on the printing tray or an insider who steals the organization's property and sells it to a third party.

These mishappenings led to the destruction of these organizations’ reputations and critical information theft.

The Ponemon Institute surveyed 650 individuals working in IT security and non-IT positions in North American companies. This research reveals the deregulation of policies at workplaces and poor management of confidential documents. All the people surveyed are well-informed about the company policies and strategies for Data protection and privacy.

According to the findings, 69% of people believed that data breaches occur due to the loss of paper documents or any electronic device with sensitive information. Around 68% agreed to data thefts in the past year in their companies. 22% of the respondents disagreed with any loss or theft of paper documents with sensitive information. 9% were unsure about it.

Why is there a risk at all?

It is worth thinking about why documents and devices with confidential information or vulnerable to theft and stealing. On brainstorming, we have concluded that most of the robbery occurs because of the following factors:

  • Poor security and lack of communication
  • Untrained employees for safe disposal of confidential data
  • No regulation or precautions to prevent loss
  • Poorly drafted policies and training for safe disposal
  • Failure to restrict employees from accessing the paper documents
  • Forgetting the simple sheet of paper with confidential data
  • The garbage bin, the ultimate destiny of documents
  • Email transfers to the unintended recipient

Now let us try to understand them one by one.

Poor security and lack of communication

The people in charge of information security, such as the chief information security officer and the chief security officer, are the governing heads for information safety. However, they do not have the authority to prevent the workers and employees from accessing confidential documents and private data containing electronic devices. Most of the time, there is no track record of who accesses the files and win.

Untrained employees for safe disposal of confidential data

Only 45% of the respondents agreed that there was a precise procedure for disposing of the confidential paper documents after no longer needs. Around 46% of people conformed to the fact that the organization was providing training to the employees for ensuring the safe disposal of confidential documents. Very few respondents believe that their organization had automatic restrictions to print from specific devices and specific files.

No regulation or precautions to prevent loss

Organizations are careless when it comes to securing confidential documents. Neither there are trained officials nor is there any regulation of policies. The files are locked in the desks, and hence they are more vulnerable to breach. Only 33% of the people said that they prevented unauthorized access to document accommodation areas, while 30% enacted a clean desk policy.

Poorly drafted policies and training for safe disposal

Around 33% of the respondents believed that their organization is very well organized, and the paper documents were disposed of in a safe environment. Very few respondents had confidence in supposing that they had a regulated system for document disposal. They are aware of what the employees are doing with the confidential documents.

Failure to restrict employees from accessing the paper documents

Many respondents in the survey disagreed that the paper documents were as protected as electronic devices with critical data. 60% of the people strongly agreed that the employees who are hired temporarily and do not have the responsibilities related to accessing paper documents still have access to them.

Around one-third of the people agreed to the fact that it is convenient for the workers and contractors to destroy confidential data in documents. Insufficient training in organizations to mark the difference between protected and non-confidential data also affects data security.

Forgetting the simple sheet of paper with confidential data

Most people believe that the employees or contractors have forgotten to carry the printed sheets from the printer tray back to the office. Any malicious worker can get hold of that left document and could be involved in the data breach. It is serious, but 71% of respondents have agreed that they have seen or picked up files from public space that contained confidential information.

The garbage bin, the ultimate destiny of documents

It is no wonder to know that the unwanted documents and files go directly into the dustbin when no longer needed. More than 50% of people believe that they either keep the account with them or threw it straight into the garbage bin. However, 33% of respondents agreed that they shredded the documents after reviewing it thoroughly.

Email transfers to the unintended recipient

Most of the confidential and sensitive information is mailed to the wrong recipient. It is a leading cause of data breach due to human error. Around 77% of people admitted that they send emails containing confidential data to the unintended person. And 88% of respondents have received such faulty emails. This human ignorance is a substantial concern for the increasing rate of data breaches in great companies.

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What does the survey say about confidential documents management at organizations?

The survey by the Ponemon Institute in North American companies with the IT and non-IT employees revealed few interesting facts about the confidentiality of documents in their organizations and its management. The results of this survey can be considered as a reference for other organizations working in Dubai.

Let’s take a look at some interesting stats!

  • According to 21% of respondents, confidential data is protected by the Chief Information Security Officer, and 8% of respondents said that CISO granted permission to access paper documents and electronic devices. It is interesting to notice these stats since the protection and security are majorly handled by the Chief Information Security Officer in any organization.
  • Most of the people agreed to the regulation of privacy laws in their organization. Almost 53% said that they comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), followed by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) at 39%. Around 33% of people were unaware of any laws and regulations in their company. It indicates the unawareness of workers in an organization.
  • Around 51% of people agreed that the confidential paper documents were collected by the outside vendors for safe disposal. While 46% people accepted that the training of employees about secure disposal was carried out. 45% of respondents said that the shredding of documents took place in the office area. Here, it is clear that the organizations are into the practice of seeking help from a third party that is, a shredding company.
  • Around 25% of the people agreed that Shredding services outside the organization are more economical and around 23% believe that it was a more secure method. 21% of respondents said that it was convenient to partner with a shredding firm. 18% agreed that there was too much paper available for shredding. 7% of respondents said that the security procedures followed by shredding companies were consistent and reliable. These stats indicate that shredding sources from outside are in trend in the companies.
  • Around 50% of respondents agreed that they did not take any steps for restricting workers from accessing confidential paper documents. It indicates the ignorance of the companies and the horrendous consequences of data breach and penalty. 38% agreed that they had locked file cabinets in offices to secure documents.
  • This one is an interesting stat to know that most of the annual budget money goes into IT security maintenance. 51% of respondents said that money was allocated to IT security, 22% said that it was allocated to physical security followed by 23% people who agreed that an equal amount was allocated to both IT and physical security.

Key takeaways for companies from the stats

This survey data is a lesson for every company/organization dealing directly with the private data of consumers. Be it the North American companies or the Dubai markets, the problem of the data breach and document theft is common.

The cases of a data breach in Asian and Gulf nations are far higher. It is time to take some significant steps and prevent the document from robbed. The following conclusions from the survey report are mentioned below. The companies should abide by these tips to secure the workplace.

Carefully monitor the responsibilities of the Chief Information Security Officer and the Chief Security Officer regarding the permission of document accession as well as protection of the integral information and data.

Implementing regulatory policies and legislations. Giving more power to the Chief Information Security Officer and making them responsible to thoroughly regulate the legislations and policies for every worker.

These reports suggest that a third-party security partner could save your company from too much investment into security programs. The shredding companies are reliable, safe, and economical for executing the task of secure document disposal.

Educate and train the employee responsible for information security. First of all, form a team of well-trained and skilled people in the information security department. Try to conduct regular education training and reviews on their performance. Try to build a culture of safe and secure workspace.

Enact Privacy policies during work hours. The smallest rules and regulations should be applied- such as locking the desks, and cabinets when not in use. The clean desk and shred the document's policies can help in achieving a better working environment.

Most of the people in the organization are unaware of the confidential data. The naive knowledge of co-workers can lead to undesired data breaches. Hence, making them aware of the difference between classified and non-classified documents is exceedingly necessary. The legal and financial records are the most private and are at a considerable amount of risk. All the data related to the customers and workers should be taken seriously in an organization.

Last but not least, work upon the management process. Most of the employees assume that a document is at risk when it is at the printing desk or is awaiting shredding. However, the truth is that private data records are thoroughly at risk in their life-cycle. Therefore, the most effective way to protect them is by implementing a regulated document management policy that emphasizes maintaining the confidentiality of documents at all stages of its life.

The 6 essential tips to secure confidential documents at workspace

Managing, holding, and protecting the confidential documents related to your company or organization requires way more energy and intelligence than simple paper shredding.

It is not an easy job to keep an eye on malicious workers, human errors, technical issues, and so on.

To manage the security of the documents better and to keep confidential information under supervision, you can follow these simple steps as enchanting measures.

1. Preparation of privacy policies and implementation

Devise effective policies and rules regarding the security of the documents. The practices designed to safeguard confidential documents and electronic devices will help in maintaining information security most effectively. Be very strict about the violation of any of the privacy policies by the workers, employees, temporary workers, security officers, or any other colleague at work.

2. Install locking consoles and secure deposits at the workspace

Prepare your organization for the worst. Install heavily secured consoles for storing the unwonted files and documents. Let the employees identify between the trash, the confidential, and the unwonted or maybe later wanted files. Placing a locked console in place of a trashcan can solve many of your document security problems. With the help of these tamperproof consoles, employees can put all the documents in one single secure and safe place.

3. Periodic security risk assessments and information retrieval

It is the primary key to secure your documents in an effective and manageable way. Firstly you need to be aware of the risks and vulnerabilities that your organization may face. A risk assessment at the workplace will help in the identification of the practices and errors put during the working hours. By analyzing the risk factors, you can mitigate methods to get rid of them forever. It requires a lot of alertness and time management. Doing this activity regularly will aware of the employees of what you are trying to do.

4. Workshops and training programs

Make a team of staff that is aware of technicalities associated with data security and information. Conduct seminars, workshops, and training regularly to make them well-informed about data management and security. Try to build an atmosphere of information security by training the staff members. Train them about how to watch out for the risk and devise strategies to reduce those risks.

5. Clear the clutter

It doesn’t matter how much you try to keep the data in clouds or online databases, paperwork shall never stop. Now and then, sheets of paper are required for different purposes. These heavy sheets keep piling up on your table desk. Take some time out to clear all this clutter and get some space for new items. Choose carefully between what has to be thrown and what has to be kept for later use. Put all the trash in one place in a locked console and get it to read it on a timely basis. It is impossible to reduce the overflow of sheets inside an office, however periodic cleaning candy clatter the office and reduce the risk of the security breach.

6. Regular disposal of confidential documents and devices

It is a very hygienic habit to get rid of confidential documents or documents that are no more required for any purpose. The regular destruction activity in the company will develop a sense of responsibility in the employees. For destruction, you can go for the shredding companies that provide paper document shredding and recycling. At the end of the process, a certificate is issued stating that the job was successfully executed with a hundred percent destruction of the provided documents. EndoShred can serve this purpose at any time and at any place you want.

Summary

This detailed survey report indicates that how paper documents with confidential data can pose an information security threat. Creating effective policies and ensuring document security is an essential part of organizational responsibility. Implementing the awareness by training and workshops of the responsible workers is a remarkable step towards building the integrity of the organization.

In addition to this, you can partner with competent document security program builders. The research reflects that the best practices adopted by the organizations to get rid of the documents are via shredding machines. We at EndoShred provide all the possible solutions for safeguarding the data, enhancing the reputation, and connecting more customers for your company. Partner with us to experience the management of confidential documents in simple and easy steps.

Why you should choose EndoShred for document safety?

We are the best information security partners for your organization since we meet the latest challenges that any organization can face with the growing private data. With the latest and advanced information security services, we offer the best services that protect your documents, build trust in your customers, and enhance your business.

Well trained officers for shredding

We have the experience of shredding for the companies in Dubai. We are leading in this industry of information security due to the expertise we offer. The trained and well-informed officers execute the task of shredding documents on the spot/office premises. They are well-uninformed and know their business quite well. They shall collect the locked consoles and carry them towards the shredding truck. The entire process is done in a secretive way. You are welcome to watch the destruction happening.

All-rounder services

For us, it doesn’t matter if you are a small scale or a larger scale business. We consider document security as the primary concern. Any document or data that needs shredding, would be done by us with utmost dedication and sincerity. We have won the trust of hundreds of customers across the nation. The continued excellence in services that we provide makes us unique from the rest of the shredding companies.

Customer-friendly experience

We are 100% committed to serving you in the best possible ways. Our work is serious while our staff remains friendly at the same time. We take your permission and time to execute the processes of shedding. Our customers have had a very pleasant experience in the past. Due to the friendly behavior of our workers, the working environment becomes friendly too.

Ease in customization

We offer customers the services they wish to avail. There is a wide choice between the services that we provide. You can get rid of the documents, get rid of the electronic devices or the hard disk containing confidential data in very simple steps. Choose any of the shredding methods according to the data you wish to get rid of.

Schedule the shredding

We are just a call away. You can choose any date and any time as per your convenience and schedule. We send the shredding trucks to the workplace whenever required. The volunteers along the truck are available as per your need. You can book the date and time whenever you feel the need to get rid of the confidential trash.