Top Data Protection Risks and How to Mitigate Them

As more businesses retain data as part of modern ways of working, large amounts of confidential information are being stored on paper documents and hard drives. With more information being kept, the risks have grown exponentially.

High-profile cases such as the data breach at the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which focussed on a database of employee details including the home addresses of serving officers, have shown the responsibilities faced by all organisations. Commenting on the case, John Edwards, the Information Commissioner, said: “People have the right to expect that their personal information is kept safe and not disclosed when it shouldn’t be. This incident raises serious concerns as it shows how even the smallest of human errors can have major consequences.

“The incident demonstrates how important it is to have robust measures in place to protect personal information, especially in a sensitive environment. The Information Commissioner’s Office works to support organisations to get this right so people can feel confident that their information is secure, and harms can be prevented.”

More generally, with growing numbers of people working in hybrid patterns, and moving sensitive information for use outside the regular work environment, companies need to understand how to prevent the loss, theft or compromise of confidential material.

Why it matters

After the initial focus on implementing General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, companies across Europe have had to maintain compliance or face the consequences. For the largest companies there have been eye-watering penalties. Internet giant Meta’s EU base in Ireland was fined €1.2bn by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) for breaching the flagship data protection law.

Ensuring your company carries out good practices around document destruction and recycling will help prevent you from falling foul of the regulations. The ICO says: “Deleting records that you no longer need, or are not proportionate to retain any longer, is an essential part of a good records management system.”

How we help

ShredPro is a professional paper shredding company specialising in secure, efficient and cost-effective shredding and recycling services for a range of customers. Working to accredited levels, our customers receive the highest standards in the industry to ensure maximum protection of confidential information while helping the planet, and recycling your shredding to reduce the demand for natural resources.

What are the risks around data protection?

If you are tasked with responsibility for data protection, before putting together a plan it is important to know more about the risks:

• Legal/compliance responsibilities
  Failing to protect data can lead to significant legal consequences, as outlined above, including fines, lawsuits and criminal prosecution. GDPR applies to all companies that handle personal data. The ICO have full guidelines here. If you are not already safeguarding client, employee and confidential business information, you have no legal defence for not ensuring protection.
• Data breaches
  The ICO defines a breach as “a breach of security leading to accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data”. In simple terms, a breach occurs when unauthorised individuals gain access to sensitive data, such as customer information, employee details, financial data, or intellectual property. The cause can be deliberate attacks such as hacking or theft but they can also include human error. Data breaches impact businesses including prosecution, financial losses, reputational damage and legal liability.
• Identity theft
  Many people will be familiar with the risks when someone steals their personal information. Identity thieves can use this personal information to open new accounts, make purchases, run up debts or commit other crimes. With these actions taking time to undo, identity theft causes huge distress plus legal, financial and reputational damage to businesses who have failed to protect personal data and prevent thefts.
• Financial damage
  Companies which have had information leaks, data breaches or identity thefts can face significant financial losses. As well as prosecution and financial penalties other costs may include investigating the incident, increased insurance or protection payments, system repair bills and compensation for those impacted.
• Reputational consequences
  Organisations that have been impacted by data incidents can face significant reputational damage. While it may not be as easy to quantify as a fine the damage to a business’s reputation from a data breach or identity theft incident can last for many years. Customers may withdraw, sales can drop, new talent may be discouraged from joining and you may have difficulty attracting new clients.

How to reduce your data protection risks

As documents and files start to accumulate, so does the chance of a data breach hitting your company. Here are some of the things you can do:

• Secure document shredding
  When businesses no longer need documents containing confidential or personal information, they should be securely shredded, preferably by a specialist partner like ShredPro to ensure the contents can no longer be accessed. Partnering with a trusted document destruction service ensures secure and compliant shredding practices are followed. ShredPro is a professional paper shredding company that offers a secure, efficient and cost-effective shredding service that adheres to the highest standards in the industry to ensure maximum protection of your confidential information, either on-site or at our secure centre.
• Shaping an effective document destruction and recycling policy
  Decide what types of documents will be covered, which could include everything from financial records to customer contracts to employee files. As accredited experts, ShredPro can help identify the different methods of destruction like shredding, incineration, and pulping. Colleagues need to be educated on how to recycle properly. You should establish a schedule for destruction, designate responsible parties and provide training to employees. Find out more here.
• Hard drive destruction
  If hard drives contain confidential data, simply erasing, wiping or even reformatting them is not enough. They should be destroyed by a partner. Shred Pro Secure IT operates a secure disposal and recycling of all your redundant office equipment. Data is wiped from any data-carrying device, but if this is not possible the device will be destroyed and a certificate of destruction provided. Read more here.
• Train employees on data protection
  Colleagues should be encouraged to play their part on data protection risks and best practices. Regular training should be conducted to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding data. Employees should be educated on secure data handling and storage of confidential papers and hard drives. Staff who work as hybrid workers or fully remotely should be included to be made aware of the risks regarding data protection, your company’s policies and the correct practices. The tone should be positive, encouraging colleagues to be responsible at all times.
• Carry out a data security survey
  Working with a partner like ShredPro you should undertake a survey to assess your level of risk. This assessment evaluates various aspects of data handling, storage and disposal practices to determine vulnerabilities. It helps identify areas where confidential material is at the highest risk of being lost, stolen, or compromised.

If you’re looking for a paper shredding company that can help you, contact us today. We offer a variety of paper shredding services to fit your needs, and we’re committed to protecting your data.

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our paper shredding services. We are confident that you will be happy with our services.

“ShredPro look after several of our sites, they are a professional, reliable and friendly shredding company who provide us with a first-class shredding service. The cabinets that they place around our facilities are secure and blend in well with our surroundings. I would recommend this shredding company to anyone who needs a cost-effective service for their confidential waste needs.”

Graham George
Bravton Mercedes Group