Shredding Services
Does your business comply with the data protection act? Many businesses and people alike have become victims of scams and identity theft because of losing important and confidential information. A business that has taken great care of the way it destroys paperwork via companies offering shredding services, not only protects the customer but also it’s own reputation. A number of companies in the UK (London) have been fined for failing to comply with the data protection act. There are three types of penalties that you are likely to face after breaching the data protection act
• Monetary- Monetary fines are imposed on serious actions and are often reserved for large entities. For example, Torbay Care Trust was fined £175,000 after sensitive personal data of more than 1373 employees of the company was published on their site. St. Georges Healthcare was also fined £60,000 after sending vulnerable persons details to the wrong address.
• Undertaking- This fine is typically applied when your organisation fails to adhere to the best practices and requires guidance.
• Prosecutions- imposed on those individuals who have breached the act in a blatant manner.
Benefits of A Shredding Service
Shredding services come with many benefits which make it part and parcel of any organisation who wants to be compliant with the Data Protection Act. Some of the advantages of seeking shredding services include but not limited to the following:
-Peace of mind
A shredding service gives the business as well as customers the peace of mind they need. Both groups will have the knowledge that their personal information was destroyed in the right manner or procedure.
-Conserve manpower
Responsible shredding gives the business options of deciding to have the entire process undertaken by a third party. In such situations, the business will not need to invest money in buying and maintaining expensive shredding equipment. Hiring shredding services will ensure that your staff are carrying out tasks for which they were employed as opposed to standing over a shredder!
-Creates trust between the business and customers
Shredding services also give unspoken trust to your customers because they will be aware that you care about their wellfare.
Shredding services are cheaper
Many people find this surprising, but using shredding services is often cheaper when compared to doing it yourself. Businesses that opt to do the shredding inhouse will incur costs of purchasing, maintaining equipment as well has the cost of their employees time. Therefore, the best way to avoid extra expenses is to hire a shredder, who will perform the job on your behalf. However, it is wise to find a reliable company because shredding involves handling sensitive and confidential information. To ensure reliability, ensure that you find a company that is ready to be committed to the agreement you are going to sign.
In conclusion, any business that deals with confidential information should consider the idea of finding the best shredding service for themselves. There are different ways that you can get rid of data but dealing with private information requires a company with the right equipment as well as tools to do the job correctly.