Shredpro Guide On How To Archive Documents Securely

Whatever your line of work, it is more important than ever to protect your confidential data.

Failure to do so can lead to data breaches, identity theft, financial damage, reputational damage and significant legal consequences, including fines, lawsuits and criminal prosecution.

Regularly archiving your documents and then securely disposing of any you no longer need via a professional shredding and recycling company such as ShredPro is one of the best ways to protect sensitive data and remain compliant with data protection regulations.

From employee records to financial documents, there are many types of documents that should be archived and disposed of securely to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

After the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation in 2018, which removed the cap on the fines which the Information Commissioner’s Office could issue, we have seen some of the biggest penalties for data breaches where companies have failed to protect customer data.

During 2020/2021, the ICO issued a record amount of £42m in fines, representing a 1580% increase from the previous year.

ShredPro is a professional paper shredding company that offers secure, efficient and cost-effective shredding and recycling services all year round, wherever your staff are operating and in whichever sector.

We help customers achieve the highest standards in the industry to ensure maximum protection of your confidential information while helping the planet, recycling your shredding to reduce the demand for natural resources.

How we help

ShredPro issues a Certificate of Destruction on site, which means you are not waiting for confirmation that your confidential documents have been disposed of and therefore no longer liable for them.

Our shredders are built into the vehicle and are 40x faster than your regular office shredder and 3x faster than some of our competitors, allowing us to dispose of your document in super quick time.

Why it matters

The Information Commissioner’s Office has the powers to enforce fines for breaches of data. The higher maximum amount for offences is £17.5 million or 4% of the total annual worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, whichever is higher.

The ICO says:  “You must ensure that you have appropriate security measures in place to protect the personal data you hold.” The ICO adds: “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.”

Practical steps you can take to archive documents securely

Archiving documents securely involves protecting them from unauthorised access, loss and damage. There are a number of things you can do to archive your documents securely, including the following:

• Choose a secure storage location: If you are storing your documents physically, choose a secure location that is lockable and away from potential hazards such as fire, water and pests. You may also want to consider using a secure off-site storage facility.
• Digitise your documents: Digitising your documents can make it easier to store, access and share them. You can scan your documents to create digital files, or you can use a document management system to store and manage your documents electronically.
• Encrypt your documents: Encryption scrambles your documents so that they can only be read by authorised users. This can help to protect your documents from unauthorised access if they are stolen or lost.
• Back up your documents: Backing up your documents is important in case of a disaster such as a fire or flood. You can back up your documents to an external hard drive, cloud storage or other secure location.
• Implement access controls: You can use passwords, access control lists and other security measures to help prevent unauthorised users from accessing your documents.
• Use a secure network: If you are storing your documents electronically, make sure you are using a secure network to protect documents from unauthorised access.
• Be aware of cyber threats: You can take steps to protect yourself from threats by keeping your software up to date, using strong passwords and being careful about what information you share online.

Once you have archived all your documents in compliance with GDPR guidelines and retention periods, it is important to destroy any you no longer need securely.

When it comes to paper documents, these should be destroyed securely by shredding. ShredPro recycles 100% of the paper we shred, all in compliance with the environmental management system ISO 14001. This ensures that our own environmental impact and therefore those of our customer is controlled. All our paper is recycled at local UK mills, again reducing the impact on the environment and investing in the local economy. Contact us today to learn more about our paper shredding and recycling services and get your free quote.

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

“ShredPro have provided a reliable and professional shredding service, supplying neat containers that complement the existing office furniture. Monthly collections are carried out by friendly professional staff who collect and destroy all documents on site erasing any concerns we had regarding security. ShredPro provide a very proficient service and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”
Becki Morrow
BBC ALBA Broadcasting Corporation