The Future Of Data Security

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Secure Paper Shredding Hard Drive Shredding WEEE Destruction

Document shredding service are a vital part of Data Protection. Shredding services in Ireland when a clear out shredding is needed. Offsite shredding services can be incorporated into everyday business to comply with Data Protection laws and improving Data Security.

Siliconrepublic an Irish based article site recently posted an interesting article regarding the future of Data security. Data Security is now more than ever vital for businesses to succeed. Technology has continuously improved and grown over the past number of years. The devices used has greatly helped smaller businesses compete with larger companies. With all this growth in technology aspects of the technology have being lost or information about it has become confusing and conflicting.

Data Security with technology will always be a continuous process. Between encryption, mobile devices and cyber warfare means that there will be no end to this process. Security experts can only protect against known breaches. Hackers have a small window of opportunity to work with.

Data Security Small Business

What does this mean for your business. For one, hiring a confidential shredding service that is also reputable and recognised by governing bodies. A shredding service must comply with Data Protection laws. A shredding service implemented within your business will ensure that you are protecting your data and improving data security.

Data Security is more than just electronic devices and digital data. Paper also contains data. Sensitive data in particular must be accessed and handled correctly. Who has access to this data and how this data is destroyed when no longer in use. A shredding service will handle these documents and devices and destroy them in a confidential and secure manor. ISO 9001:2008 is a good mark to look out for before hiring a shredding service for your business.

This type of data is what hackers and criminals try to achieve and will prey on human error to obtain this data. Dumpster diving will occur and if your documents are not shredded or only used a simple office shredder will not securely destroy data. Digital data can be accessed easily if the data is not encrypted or has not being wiped correctly. USB keys should be kept securely in your possession if they contain data. When shredding ask for the DIN level of shredding required to ensure secure data destruction.

Awareness to these methods is paramount to the success of your business and Data Security. If a data breach occurs then your business can be liable and receive a hefy penalty.

Read the full article here:

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/2016/03/24/cybersecurity-future-of-security-hackers

Details for a confdential shredding service please visit:

https://www.securityinshredding.com/

Electric Ireland Phishing Scam Warning!

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irish data breaches, Data Protection, Paper Shredding, Data Destruction

A Confidential document destruction service is one among many means of a businesses Data Protection. Data breaches can come in many forms and one method of a data breach is phising. When you hear reports of accounts being hacked or customer details have being released, this is one such method of doing this.

So what is phising?

A simple Google search of this question will provide you with the following answer

“the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, online.”

It is common for these type of scams to target high profile companies with a large customer base. Hackers can produce “official” looking emails to trick people into giving their details. There are steps to help protect you against these type of attacks.

Below is an example of the malicious email in circulation:

Screen Capture of malicious email

Read the full article here:

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/electric-ireland-warns-customers-over-sophisticated-phishing-scam-34587520.html

The article writes that the scam was asking customers click a link and enter their username and password. The way the email is worded to convince you that it is official. To the uneducated person this will look and feel official. Asking for your details in this manner is suspicious.

Also “Dear Customer”  should not be there. If it was an official statement then Electric Ireland would have your name in place of customer. Electric Ireland will have your name on storage and will be able to use it in documents.

The links to click are also displayed in a way to deceive you creating a link can be displayed to say anything.

Prevention against phising

  • If you suspect something the report it immediately as the company may not be aware of the issue.
  • Do not click on the links on the email and go through the Electric Ireland site to login
  • If you clicked on the link and feel your details were obtained then change your password immediately and report it to Electric Ireland.
  • Avoid clicking links that display as “here” or “Click Here” etc these can be misleading
  • Asking for your details through email is common practice.
  • Report any suspicious activity.

Microsoft have a detailed list to help protect you against phising scams. Awareness is key to scams like these the more you know the easier it is to protect your data and company reputation from data breach.

Microsoft Tips: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/online-privacy/phishing-faq.aspx

For more information on Data Protection please visit our shredding specialist site

Data Destruction What Is It?

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harddrive destruction, Media Destruction, Confidential Shredding Service

Off site document destruction and or onsite document destruction can be implemented for a purge clear out in business. Secure document shredding services in the Dublin area and throughout the country are necessary to comply with Data Protection laws.

Data destruction is the process of destroying data stored on tapes, hard disks and other forms of electronic media so that it is completely unreadable and cannot be accessed or used for unauthorized purposes. A good data destruction process in your company or business will ensure you are complying with data protection laws. Protecting sensitive data is paramount for a business and if data breaches occur a business or company will receive a hefty penalty if a breach occurs.

On Site Media Destruction Service

Incorporating a on site media destruction service to your daily business will benefit both you and your customers. In today’s market any form of a data leak or breach is a make or break for business and in particular for e-commerce businesses. A reputable confidential shredding service should be sought when the service is needed.

There are a number of reasons for getting your media and a good shredding service will be able to provide most of the following:

 

  • Hard Drive Shredding – Large Quantities

  • Data Erasure

  • Hard Drive Degaussing

  • Hard Drive Crushing

  • Hard Drive Shredding

  • Lockable Bins for Hard Drive Storage

  • Tape Destruction

  • Remote Employee Services

Off Site Media Destruction

Services needed do not always require an on site destruction. Medium to large businesses can avail of off site destruction service where bulk destruction can take place. A good and reputable shredding service would be able to accommodate this.

Knowing weather to go for a on site or off site service will come down to the business owner or manager and enquiring with the shredding service as to which option is recommended and most shredding services will offer free consultation.

Data Destruction Shredding Process

The shredding process of hard drives will occur in a secure environment and is destroyed beyond reconstruction to ensure its security Below is a video description of the shredding process.

 

For more information on Data Destruction and Data Protection or have any enquires about a confidential shredding service please visit:

https://www.securityinshredding.com/

 

Data classification and identification

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Security In Shredding on site service, Onsite shredding service

Confidential shredding in Cork and throughout the country can incorporate a off site document shredding service to promote good business practice.

Internal Data classification and identification is when an Organisation tags their data so it can be managed effectively, securely processes, found quickly and destroyed appropriately.

It is a beneficial exercise for many Organisations as it helps to de-duplicate data stored on devices, this de-duplication vastly speeds ups data searches while also saves upon revenue in the form of storage capacity and back-up requirements for a given Organisation.

This exercise is also required for Organisations who need to meet legal and regulatory requirements for destroying the information beyond reconstruction, not holding information longer than necessary in addition to enabling an Organisation to retrieve specific information within a set timeframe.

Data strategies vary significantly from one organisation to another for many reasons. For example, many may generate different types and volumes of data that are subject to differing legislative requirement and responsibilities. The balance of information type can vary from one user to the next between e-mail correspondence, images, video files, office documents, customer and product information, financial data just to name a few.

It may seem a good idea to tag and classify everything within your Company database however experts here and abroad advise against this due to high costs and success rates within Organisations. Certified database technology is available for Organisations however; this method seems to work best for Governments with an allocated budget for the activity.

Alternatively, it is advised that Organisations can choose certain types of data to classify into the main segments of your business, for example; account data, personal data and commercially valuable data.

It is advised that an Organisation’s data is to be classified in line with their confidentiality requirements. It is important to carry out an information audit at this stage which in turn will give you an accurate view of the nature of the data.

It is essential for an Organisation to ensure that the data it is classifying is of good quality, “Common pitfalls for Organisations is that too much rubbish is allowed to accumulate, from duplication to copies of office party photos to personal letters to bank managers”, storage cleansing technologies are extremely useful at this stage to eliminate obsolete, trivial or redundant content.

Once the classification system is up and running it is important that management and staff take part in periodic reviews as it is not set in stone and business developments can translate to design changes in data classification.

Once the data has been classified an Organisation is empowered with the ability to tailor procedures for specific data in order to maintain regulatory compliance.

Secure Destruction of Sensitive data.

When destroying information whether it be hard paper data or digital data on data carriers it is essential for Organisations to ensure that they comply with regulations and are not proving to be negligent in their processes. For this reason, we have constructed three different protection classes for data that requires specific attention to ensure that the material has been destroyed appropriately.

 

Protection Class

 Risk

 

 Protection 1:Normal security requirement for internal data Unauthorised publication or dissemination would have a limited negative impact on the company. Protection of personal data must be ensured. There would otherwise be a risk to the position and financial situation of the affected persons.
  Protection 2:High security requirement for confidential data
Unauthorised dissemination would have a considerable effect on the company and could infringe legal obligations or laws. A personal data data-breach would result in considerable risk to the social standing and financial situation of the affected persons.
  Protection 3:Very high protection requirements for particularly confidential and secret data. Unauthorised dissemination would have serous terminal consequences for the Company and infringe upon trade confidentiality, place a data subject at risk of safety or freedom, break contracts and legal law.

It is essential that the confidentiality of personal data is maintained.

 

Destruction Tips;

Protection Class 1:

Destruction activities must be carried out in line with a detailed procedure, all staff carrying out destruction activities are to be trained. Alternatively, destruction processes are to be implemented and provided through a data processing firm receiving all data processing certificates for completion of destruction. All data is to be destroyed to shred No. 3 of EN 15713.

Protection Class 2:

Destruction processes of data in protection class No. 2 are to be implemented and provided through a data processing firm receiving all data processing certificates for completion of destruction. All data is to be destroyed to a minimum of shred No. 3 of EN 15713. The data processor must be registered for their services.

Protection Class 3:

Destruction processes of data in protection class No. 3 are to be implemented and provided through a certified data processing firm receiving all data processing certificates for completion of destruction. All data is to be destroyed to a minimum of shred No. 5 of EN 15713. The vendor must be independently certified to destroy paper and digital data beyond reconstruction and they must be registered for their services with the policing authority in the relevant Country.

Visit: https://www.securityinshredding.com/ for more information on a confidential shredding service.

Data Protection Ireland Today

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Data proccesser and data commissioner

Secure document destruction in Ireland can come in the form of an onsite paper shredding service or an off site paper shredding service. Data comes in many forms and The Data protection Act is in place to ensure that this data is protected.

Data Protection is a vital for a business to succeed and remain in business. If customers or users know that your service does not protect your data. It will be a massive loss to business and business reputation. Your business can suffer from a severe penalty for not protecting your data.

An interesting article written by Colm Gorey titled “3 issues defining data protection in Ireland today”   The issues discussed are relevant to today’s business. The 3 topics discussed were:

  1. ISO 27018: Cloud computing privacy standard – one year on

  2. Personal data and your right to access it — Ireland vs the UK

  3. Challenges to data protection under the internet of things

The first point talks about the governing of personal data through cloud based systems. Standards have being created to ensure the protection of data and were received well by Data Security experts. The ISO 27018 standard can be read here. Cloud computing has become a major asset to business functionality and knowing what cloud based systems are doing with your data should be investigated and researched when changes if any occur.

The second point refers to Irish and English law. Although both countries have similarities the law for each country does vary and in particular with personal data and access to it. Your business must abide by the rules in place of the country it is based in. A good example of how country laws differ can be read at this link.

Awards of Damages for Data Protection Breaches – UK and Irish Approaches Contrasted

Thirdly the internet of things (IOT) refers to the general use of internet and internet services. Governments and official bodies are trying to develop ideas or frameworks that will regulate the internet of things. What has happened is the EU 28 data protection bodies.

for more information on data protection and a confidential shredding service please visit: https://www.securityinshredding.com/

 

 

Paper Vs Digital Data

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Paper Data vs Digital Data

Paper Data & Digital Data are both equally as important to protect from data breaches. A Paper Shredding Service should provide a Din 66399 Standard when shredding documents. This ensures that documents are destroyed beyond repair. While this deals with paper data and documents. Your digital data is just as vital to protect. 

We now live in a digital age. With the increase in usage of electronic devices and data is accessed and viewed digitally. This has caused a decrease in print media. Forbes magazine released a interesting article about the benefits of print media.

Over the past decade media has switched to digital based as people now access information through digital media. While there wont be a switch back to print media recent neuroscience research has shed new light on this form of media.

“Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media (5.15 vs. 6.37), suggesting that it is both easier to understand and more memorable. Post-exposure memory tests validated what the cognitive load test revealed about direct mail’s memory encoding capabilities. When asked to cite the brand (company name) of an advertisement they had just seen, recall was 70% higher among participants who were exposed to a direct mail piece (75%) than a digital ad (44%).

load-recall

The study continues and explains how paper causes an emotional response to the brain:

  • Physical material is more “real” to the brain. It has a meaning, and a place. It is better connected to memory because it engages with its spatial memory networks.
  • Physical material involves more emotional processing, which is important for memory and brand associations.
  • Physical materials produced more brain responses connected with internal feelings, suggesting greater “internalization” of the ads.

Your recall is better from paper media. So don’t throw out the printer just yet. Accessibility of data may be easier digitally but data will be read and learned better from paper. Whatever method you choose it is important to know that the data needs to be protected.

Data protection laws are in place for businesses that contain sensitive data. With paper a confidential shredding service should be implemented for your business to dispose of sensitive data in a secure manor.

For information on a confidential shredding service please visit:

https://www.securityinshredding.com/

Read the Forbes full article here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2015/09/16/paper-vs-digital/#5d5ee8301aa2

 

Data Protection A Human Right

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Amnesty International Data Protection a Human Right

Confidential document destruction services are vital part of business data protection. paper shredders / shredding services in Ireland have governing bodies in place to enforce and ensure people are complying with Data Protections laws.

“Encryption is a basic prerequisite for privacy and free speech in the digital age. Banning encryption is like banning envelopes and curtains. It takes away a basic tool for keeping your private life private,” said Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Global Issues.

It can be hard to comprehend the benefit of encryption when using a device. What happens in the background on devices and applications can even confuse even the most informed individual. The above statement from Elsayed does put it into perspective. With a major organisation such a Amnesty international in support for data protection, ensuring your business protects its data needs to be paramount.

The Data Protection Act is an EU standard that ensures that the access and movement of personal data is protected accordingly. These standards are in place to protect your personal information. Online usage has grown and is still growing. Access to online services and devices to use it are widely available in particular mobile devices are now becoming the no.1 method of transactions for e-commerce sites.

Using these sites or services requires and stores personal data and this data is sensitive and businesses must ensure that this data is protected. If a business does not secure its data it can be ruin a companies reputation and not to mention the penalties for a data breach from unsecured data.

There are many ways to store and display data. Weather it is electronically or paper, if it contains sensitive data it needs to be stored and destroyed securely. A document destruction service should be sought when destroying documents. A simple office shredder will not securely destroy your documents.

Media devices such as hard drives if being replaced or recycled should be destroyed if they contain sensitive data. Wiping the drive or formatting the drive does not remove the data entirely and can be retrieved.

A Din 66399 Standard is a standard set for paper shredding. This standard ensures the highest security when shredding documents and devices. When hiring a reputable shredding service this standard should be sought after.

For more information on a confidential shredding service please visit:  https://www.securityinshredding.com/

Read Amnesty International full report here:

https://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/encryption-a-matter-of-human-rights

Dangers Of Data Breaches For Small Businesses

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Heartbleed Data Theft

Secure document shredding in Dublin and throughout the country are services needed to ensure your business is complying with Data Protection laws. These laws are in place to ensure businesses that possess sensitive data are protecting against vulnerabilities both physically and digitally.

Cyber criminals will target small businesses. In the UK the minister for the digital economy Ed Vaizey outlined (2015) that a major security breach for a small business in the UK could cost as much as £310,800. This figure also applies to Irish businesses and any small business in operation.

Dataprotection.ie have detailed descriptions on how to protect your business and improve its security. The site has guidelines to improve your business security. Researching online can be difficult because you will read conflicting reports and incorrect information. The data protection site provides you with useful and up to date information from a governing body to help improve your business security and data protection.

On the site is a guideline to improve your data security. It covers the law to software and IT support to use. With a little bit of know how and awareness to possible threats will benefit you and your business greatly.

There are 19 steps in total on the guideline page which can be read in full at data security guideline page, below are a steps from said list.

1. Install an Anti Virus Software

It is a necessity for any electronic device that transfers data. Anti Virus software protects more than just your computer, it also protects your emails and personal details when online. Malware is a big threat to computers and using a reputable ant virus will benefit.

Remember to update the anti virus software regularly as anti virus software can only protect against known viruses.

2. Firewalls

Firewalls are a essential form of protection where there is external connection. Always on internet is now a common practice for businesses. This makes a properly configured firewall a good form of security.

3. Wireless networks

When using a wireless network in your own business network make sure that proper encryption is setup on the wireless network. Be aware when using public networks such hotels and airports can potentially a risk. Use it if necessary and if you are transferring personal data make sure to be in a secure session on the device.

4. Human Factor

Is often over looked and is often used to breach a business. For example cyber criminals have accessed user accounts by using passwords such as “123456” and or “password.” Sounds crazy but happens more often than you would think. Use a more cryptic password. What the password contains will help its strength but the more characters used the greater the strength.

Also be aware of printed documents that may contain sensitive data and if not disposed properly can be accessed. Having a reputable Shredding Service dispose of your documents securely and safely.

For more information on a secure shredding visit: https://www.securityinshredding.com/  for more information.

 

Data Processors And Data Commissioner

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Data Protection Commissioner

Mobile Paper shredding throughout Ireland and the companies that provide confidential document destruction are governed by Data Protection laws and the Data Protection commissioner. This can be broken down into two parts.

Data Processors

Security in Shredding are registered Data Processors with the Data Protection Commissioners Office. So what is a Data Processor one may ask; a Data Processor is a company, organisation or person who processes data on behalf of a Data Controller. “This does not include employees who process data in the course of their employment.”

“Cloud providers are also generally Data Processors.”

“It is possible for one company or person to be both a data controller and a data processor, in respect of distinct sets of personal data. For example, a payroll company would be the data controller in respect of the data about its own staff, but would be the data processor in respect of the staff payroll data it is processing for its client companies.”

“A data processor is distinct from the data controller for whom they are processing the personal data. An employee of a data controller, or a section or unit within a company which is processing personal data for the company as a whole, is not a “data processor.” However, someone who is not employed by the data controller, but is contracted to provide a particular data processing service (such as a Security in Shredding providing and conducting a confidential secure data destruction service) would be a data processor.

Responsibilities of data processors

The Data Processor must only process personal data on the instructions of the Data Controller, for example, the Client (the Data Controller) schedules an on-site service delivery where by Security in Shredding (the Data Processor) arrives on-site to conduct on-site shredding of the clearly identified material for destruction. The responsibilities concern the necessity to keep personal data secure from unauthorised access, disclosure, or destruction unless confirmation is received prior to doing so.

“In addition all data processors, whose business consists wholly or partly in processing personal data on behalf of data controllers who are required to register, are also required to register with the Data Protection Commissioner as a data processor.”

For further information about Data Processors please click on any of the following website addresses;

www.securityinshredding.com

www.dataprotection.ie

www.aurthercox.com

Also available in the Limerick area and please visit:

www.securityinshredding.com/limerick-shredding-services.php

The Importance Of Uniforms In An Office

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Security in Shredding Logo. 2014.

Onsite paper destruction and off site paper destruction in Ireland and in general should incorporate a uniform for a number of reasons.

Uniforms for Corporate Branding

Having a distinctive uniforms in the colours associated with the company can assist in the establishment of an impression in the mind of the consumer. Security in Shredding’s uniforms identifies its employee’s as individuals who are associated with it and its service’s, and it helps to brand the company by distinguishing it from the competition. Consistency in employee’s appearance can create a positive impression on the customer and contribute to the projection of the Security in Shredding’s corporate image.

Uniforms for Portraying Competence

Uniforms can enable customers to identify employees eliminating the possibility of a customer mistakenly asking a member of the public for help. Employees wearing a uniform encourage confidence in the client by portraying  the individual is a professional with service knowledge and a eagerness to help. A uniform puts the force of the corporate reputation behind the individual, making him look reliable and trustworthy as a company representative.

Uniforms to Promote Security

Just as a Gardaí or Army uniform identifies an officer, Security in Shredding’s uniform identifies its employee’s who are out onsite conducting a service call or delivery to a client’s premises.

Uniforms to Eliminate Dress Codes

Having a compulsory requirement for Security in Shredding’s employees to wear its uniform eliminates the need for creating and enforcing a dress code. Enforcing a dress code can lead to hard feelings on the part of employees who are told that their attire is not appropriate for the workplace.

Overall it is important to Security in Shredding that its employees are always dressed in uniform for their job roles and are neat and tidy at all times.

At Security In Shredding we apply these methods to our staff on with all onsite calls for both yours and our benefit.

For more information about Security In Shredding please visit:

https://www.securityinshredding.com/