Want To Reduce Liability At Your Office? 4 Ways To Better Secure Documents
Posted on: 15 June 2016
When business owners think about security in the office, they often think of physical security -- locks on doors and limiting unauthorized people from wandering around. But securing your documents can be just as important and may often be overlooked or underutilized. If you want to help reduce liability risk and better secure your clients' information, here are 4 ways any business can be safer.
Tidy Up
Believe it or not, document security -- both digital and hard copy -- begins with an organized office. If you or your employees have a messy, uncontrolled and disorganized office space, it's easy for papers to be left out and unsecured. When files, papers and emails all have their proper places, it's much easier to keep them safe from prying eyes. If you need to purchase additional storage equipment and organizational tools or even ask for professional organizing help, do so. And while you're tidying up the office, be sure to create a good organizational system for emails and documents saved on company directories.
Shred Regularly
Encourage employees (and yourself) to think about security before they throw out or recycle old papers. Is there anything on these documents that could potentially be sensitive -- including company or client information, addresses or data? While you could provide individual shredders to employees, it may be more efficient to use a regular shredding service that can leave secure bins in the office -- thereby saving your employees from worrying about wasted time shredding.
Purge on Schedule
Like shredding, purging old documents and files is a good way to ensure that sensitive information isn't hanging around the office more than it needs to be. Work out a standardized purging schedule for office files and digital copies (such as payroll or employee files, old client files and business financial information) and post it for all employees to access. If you're unsure when to purge a certain type of file, you can often get guidance from your accountant or lawyer.
Secure the Copier
Unbeknownst to many office managers, the copier can be a potential security risk. As copiers become more connected and flexible, there is the possibility of misuse. You can help secure the copy machines by using individual employee codes, encrypting stored data and restricting access to change print locations or scan to "cloud" storage. In addition, it's good to set up an audit trail that records where copies or scans were printed and by whom or use a system that controls where scans can be saved to.
By implementing these inexpensive changes in your office, you can help ensure that you, your employees and your customers can all rely on the safety and security of your office files. To start, contact local shredding services or visit sites like www.vitalrecordscontrol.com to learn more about their available services.
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