CONFIDENTIAL WASTE & DOCUMENT

Document destruction compliance is now a legal requirement

Storofile’s document destruction services are specifically designed to comply with the privacy and confidentiality requirements of individuals and organisations. Keeping customer and employee information secure isn’t just good business sense — it’s the law.

We make it our business to know the privacy legislation and document destruction requirements in all regions where our customers are doing business so that you can focus on your core business practices, rather than worrying about your document privacy legislation is constantly becoming more rigorous and is strictly enforced by the authorities, meaning that any organisation that fails to fully comply may face severe, costly penalties.

This legislation includes the ultimate destruction of confidential materials, which states that all private information contained in documents must be destroyed in a way that ensures it cannot be recreated. To fully ensure this, secure shredding is the most effective and preferred method. All of our shredding trucks go through exceptionally powerful shredders, which can turn almost any confidential waste you may have – from paper and clipboards to CD disks and USB sticks – into fine confetti, impossible to reconstruct. This confetti is then pulped (even further destroying it and leaving zero chance of any information be left) ready to be recycled.

Partnering with Storofile certainly makes good business sense.

Why should we all shred?

Bank statements and business contracts are by no means the only documents that contain confidential information. On a daily basis, in every business, confidential materials are generated by almost every employee, from strategic planning documents to employee medical records. In reality, more materials than you might at first think contain private information that could be a security risk if in the wrong hands.

Identity theft has already grown to become one of the costliest security risks that businesses now face. It’s a threat which can quickly destroy a business’s reputation and security. The potential costs of security breaches of this type could run into millions of pounds, leading to dented credit ratings, angry or lost customers and irreparable damage to your reputation.

In the UK and across the globe, governments and regulators work to develop legislation aimed at protecting consumers and businesses from fraud. But prevention is always the best solution. Storofile’s confidential waste destruction services were specifically designed to comply with and complement the specified confidentiality requirements and regulatory standards in every area that we conduct business. This is more than just good business sense – it’s a legal requirement.

And once your confidential materials have been securely shredded, you will be provided with a Certificate of Destruction to confirm the exact date and time of destruction, thereby guaranteeing the safe disposal of your now shredded confidential waste.

You can trust Storofile’s secure shredding services to keep your confidential information, and that of your customers and employees, exactly that — confidential. By having secure shredding processes in place, it will help them to feel secure. And that in turn will help you feel secure as well.

Preventing Identity Theft

IFAS, the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, records on average 75,000-80,000 cases of identity theft each year in the UK. At Storofile, we understand the importance of identity theft prevention. Our confidential paper shredding services provide you with peace of mind that your private information, and that of your customers and employees, is protected. We ensure that you will receive the highest levels of security from start to finish.

Are you being deceived?

Fraudsters are not easy to recognise. It could be the polite insurance salesman who calls at your house or that familiar looking man in the pub who is willing to let you in on a sure fire thing. It may even be someone whom you know well and would not consider in any way to be a criminal.

Essentially, the fraudster aims to convince you that giving your money to him is perfectly reasonable – be it for an investment, a purchase, a business proposition or whatever. Our identity is a valuable commodity – you need it to function in everyday life. You need evidence of who you are to personal bank accounts, obtain credit cards, finance, loans and mortgages, to obtain goods or services, or to claim, but you may not be the only person using your own personal details. Your identity can be stolen and used in a variety of ways.

Fraudsters can impersonate you and take out various forms of credit using your good name. They can even take over our existing bank accounts by pretending to be you. All the fraudster needs are a few of your details. A document bearing your name and/or your address makes it even easier.

This phenomenon is commonly known as identity theft (or identity fraud) and is the fastest growing type of fraud in the UK. Identity theft – (also known as impersonation fraud) is the misappropriation of the identity (such as the name, date of birth, current address or previous addresses) of another person, without their knowledge or consent. These identity details are then used to obtain goods and services in that person’s name.

Identity fraud – is the use of a misappropriated identity in criminal activity, to obtain goods or services by deception. This usually involves the use of stolen or forged identity documents such as a passport or driving licence. Identity theft and identity fraud are definitely not victimless crimes, and they are constantly on the rise. Identity theft can be a harrowing experience for the victim. It can be months before the fraudster’s actions are discovered, and in some cases it can take just as long to sort out the mess left behind. Here are measures you can take to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim, and if your identity is hijacked, there is help and advice available.

There are a few simple precautions you can take to help prevent your identity from being used in this way:

Protect your personal details and think before you give them away: Who precisely is asking for my details? What details are they asking for? And why do they need these details? Dispose of your documents securely. Any document containing any of your personal details is potentially useful to a fraudster.

It is fairly straightforward to find out if your identity has been hijacked, and if you do suspect you are a victim, advice is available. Contact the organisation concerned straight away. Report the crime to the police and get a copy of your credit file/report from the credit reference agencies – Experian, Equifax and Callcredit – to check the extent.

Shredding the Right Information is Vital

Despite advances in technology, the printing of documents is still standard practice in most workplaces. Unless confidential printed documents are disposed of securely, there is always the risk that they could fall into the wrong hands, threatening the security and privacy of your business. Storofile’s paper shredding solutions can help to reduce this risk.

Protecting the security and privacy of your printed materials is our number one priority. In line with The Data Protection Act, every business needs to keep its confidential information, and that of its customers and employees, secure.

Document protection remains a key component of all privacy legislation and compliance standards in the UK. As such, it’s not just good business practice to keep your confidential materials protected — it’s the law. Knowing what documents need to be shredded is vital. Often sensitive information is simply thrown in the bin by employees who do not realise their importance. Invoices, company reports, payroll information, customer lists and even complaints are all confidential, and therefore need to be securely destroyed.

Here is a guideline of what materials should be shredded:

Executive Level

• Strategic reports
• Budgets
• Legal Contracts
• Correspondence

Human Resources

• Payroll information
• Performance appraisals
• Applications
• Disciplinary reports
• Medical records
• Treatment Programmes

Research & Development

• New product info
• Reports
• Formulas, plan tests
• Specification Drawings

Accounting & IT

• Payroll statements
• Budget schedules
• Internal reports
• Supplier information
• Customer lists

Operations

• Manuals
• Training information
• Activity sheets
• Contacts
• General info
• Health & safety reports
• Appraisals
• Product testing info

Procurement

• Supplier records
• Supplier specs
• Supplier purchase orders
• Supplier information
• Corporate records

Sales & Marketing

• Customer lists
• Contracts
• Strategies
• Advertising
• Activity sheets
• Training information