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Author: David Lovatt

USB memory stick disposal – Has your business ever lost a memory stick?

Posted on by David Lovatt

Dealing with USB memory stick disposal correctly is so important these days.

It could mean make or break for a business, as the recent case brought by the Information Commissioner against Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) shows.

After a member of the public found a USB memory stick the company had lost, HAL was fined £120,000 for failing to ensure the personal data held on its network was properly secured.

The memory stick was discovered on October 16, 2017 after it had been lost by an employee.

It contained 76 folders and over 1,000 files, and it had not been encrypted or protected by a password.

The person who found it took it to a local library and looked at the material on it and passed it to a national newspaper.

There was a small amount of sensitive and personal data held on it, including a training video which revealed 10 people’s names, passport numbers, dates of birth, and details concerning up to 50 aviation security personnel employed by HAL.

ICO Director of Investigations, Steve Eckersley, said: “Data protection is a boardroom issue and it is imperative that businesses have the policies, procedures and training in place to minimise any vulnerabilities of the personal information that has been entrusted to them.”

The ICO said its investigation found just 2% of the workforce of 6,500 had been trained in data protection.

The investigation also found the widespread use of removable media such as memory sticks in contravention of HAL’s own policies.

Once the company was aware of the matter, it reported what happened to the police, acted to contain the incident, and took on a specialist to monitor the internet and the dark web.

It took action to remedy the situation.

Read more about the case, which was brought under the old Data Protection Act because it pre-dated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) here.

Under the new rules, serious breaches can cost companies fines of up to 4% of their worldwide annual turnover, or 20 Million Euros, whichever is the higher.

Taclus Confidential Managing Director David Lovatt said: “It’s easy to forget about removable media such as memory sticks and image cards, but they could cost us dearly if we don’t get them shredded securely.

“Ensure all your old memory sticks are collected and shredded by a company who can give you a certificate of destruction.”

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste, removable media, and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of your confidential waste, contact our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

How could my data come back to haunt my business? Here are 5 ways which could give you quite the fright…

Posted on by David Lovatt

Halloween isn’t all just about trick or treaters or spooky costumes.

Traditionally, it’s when we tell each other ghost stories. When it comes to business, though, none of us want to be haunted by the ghosts of data past.

This is especially true now that the General Data Protection regulation is in force, and businesses face fines of up to 4% of their worldwide annual turnover, or 20 million Euros, whichever is the higher, when there is a serious data breach.

Here are 5 ways your data could come back to trip you up.

  1. Your old documents could be found in recycling and used by identity thieves

Wanting to recycle paper is a noble thing. We all want to save the planet. Yet, putting confidential waste in the general office recycling could be a huge mistake.

Do you know where your recycling ends up and who has access to it?

Identity thieves are adept at getting snippets of information from documents and piecing them together to use against you.

Using a secure shredding company such as Taclus Confidential which vets its staff and has secure processes means your documents won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Your paperwork will also be recycled at the end of that process.

  1. Your files could be recovered from your old hard drives

Wiping your hard drive doesn’t destroy the data on it. Instead, it removes a directory.

For people who understand the technology, getting files back is still possible.

So, when you’re upgrading laptops and PCs, it’s vital that your hard drives are shredded.

That way, your data remains safe.

  1. Your sensitive information could be held insecurely while awaiting destruction

Think about the kind of information you have in your business. That could mean staff medical records, notes of disciplinary meetings, financial information about employees, detailed business plans showing things about your business you don’t want competitors to know.

Just placing these in an open bag while you wait for them to be disposed of could be a real problem. Imagine who has access to your site, and who could take information from those open bags.

Getting secure consoles to protect that information is vital.

  1. Your old media such as flash drives and image cards could be lost

Think about the flash drives, image cards, and SIM cards your business uses and what kind of information is on them.

Files, pictures, emails…they all need protecting and could cause you major problems if they fall into the wrong hands.

  1. Your old branding could be used by the wrong people

If you refresh your branding, items containing the old version could be used to defraud your clients or damage your business.

That could be headed paper, business cards, and uniforms.

If you shred them, you know they aren’t out there to be used against you.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of your confidential waste, contact our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

Isn’t it time you thought about Christmas?

Posted on by David Lovatt

You may not want to admit it, but now’s the time when businesses should be gearing up for their Christmas marketing.

We know, the children have only just gone back to school and we mentioned the C-word!

It has to be done, though. You’ll need a decent lead-in time to write the content for, design, and print your brochures, flyers, catalogues, and posters, and refresh any branding you have.

The last thing you want is summer leaflets hanging around long after the sun has gone.

If you’re revamping your branding, you’ll also want to ensure the new image isn’t diluted by old branded items such as letterheads, business cards, brochures, menus, flyers, and uniforms.

Here are 4 useful ways a professional shredding company can get your business ready for that Christmas push…

  1. 1. Shred your old marketing material securely – to ensure you have the space for your new campaign, and to ensure the old messages are not still getting out there. This is particularly useful for the hospitality and retail sectors, where offers change with the season and what works in summer most definitely doesn’t in the autumn and winter.
  2. Destroy any old branded items – including branded USB sticks and other media, and uniforms. If you’re changing your branding, you don’t want people holding on to the old brand. It also affects your security as a business. What if the wrong people got hold of your staff uniforms and used them to con your customers, for example? Getting them shredded ensures this can’t happen.
  3. Shred old staff documents – clearing space for any documents you may need when you take on temporary staff in the run-up to Christmas. With the new, strict rules on data handling brought in by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), handling personal data such as names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and bank account numbers is in the spotlight. It must be done correctly, or in the most serious cases, businesses risk a fine of 20 million euros or 4% of their annual worldwide turn-over, whichever is higher. Getting an audit chain and a certificate of destruction from a shredding company which upholds the highest standards helps ensure you stay on the right side of the rules.
  4. Destroy old customer records and correspondence – make space for Christmas stock and records from new customers. Ensure your customers’ personal data remains secure by using a company where staff are checked, such as Taclus Confidential, and where you can prove an audit chain if there is an investigation. Your business reputation is precious, so take care of it.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

Is your business looking for an affordable and secure shredding service in South Wales? If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of confidential waste, call our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

Headteachers: how is your school handling its confidential waste?

Posted on by David Lovatt

Handling its confidential waste

School’s out!

So now’s the time for school refurbishments, clear-outs, and improvements.

People who aren’t usually given access to your buildings will be working there.

So, now is also the time to ensure your confidential waste is held securely.

Or, if you’re planning for the new year in September, have you thought about how your school will handle its confidential waste in 2018/19?

Here’s what you can do…

Ensure you have lockable consoles

This will help you keep sensitive documents safe. This could include old pupil records, letters from parents and from teachers to parents, and old staff records.

Putting them in an insecure place ready for recycling in September could mean confidential data getting into the wrong hands, and that could also mean you breaching the strict rules imposed by the General Data Protection regulation (GDPR).

Once items are placed in lockable consoles, they cannot be taken back out without a key to open it.

Organise a one-off shred

We know that school staff will be working over the summer to prepared for exam results and ensure contractors on site have everything they need.

So, why not organise a one-off collection by a secure shredding company? This will allow you to ensure all your confidential data is handled correctly and start the new academic year in the right way.

Ensure the company you choose conforms to the highest standards and has staff who are vetted – just like Taclus Confidential. Also ensure they give you a certificate of destruction and a transfer note, if they are taking your confidential waste off the premises.

Call in an on-site shredder

This is a convenient way to shred a substantial number of old documents in one go.

It also means your documents don’t have to leave your site.

Again, ensure the company you choose has vetted staff and conforms to the highest industry standards to ensure your data security.

Don’t forget your old hard drives and media

Deleting a file doesn’t mean it has been wiped from the hard drive. In fact, these files can be recovered and your confidential data can be compromised.

So, if your school is updating its computers, make sure your hard drives are destroyed securely.

The same applies to media such as flash drives, phone SIM cards, and image cards for cameras.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of your school’s confidential waste, contact our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

Is your business part of the outsourcing revolution? Get ahead of the competition by giving your clients secure shredding

Posted on by David Lovatt

The number of micro businesses in the UK has soared in recent years.

In fact, they account for 94% of all businesses, a 2017 survey by Vistaprint found.

In 2015, official statistics showed there were 5.15 million micro businesses in the UK, that’s businesses employing less than 10 people. Although many were run by solo entrepreneurs, more than a million of them were employers.

Little surprise, then, that there has also been a boom in outsourcing in recent years.

Micro business owners know they can’t do everything themselves.

They have been outsourcing marketing, administration, human resources, social media, and IT support.

If your business is part of this outsourcing boom, building trust with potential clients is key.

So, having systems in place to ensure you deal with their data securely is a vital part of ensuring your prospective clients don’t find a different provider.

Human resources

Dealing with clients’ employees means there will be lots of confidential letters and files which must be kept for a specified period by law.

However, once this period is up, you need to ensure your confidential paper documents, and the old hard drives containing digital versions of these files, are shredded securely.

Outsourced human resources companies exist on their reputations for confidentiality. Not only could a data breach spell disaster for your business, it could be disastrous for your client’s business, too.

Marketing and social media

No business wants their marketing or social media plan to fall into competitors’ hands.

So, outsourced marketing companies should be conscious of dealing with client data securely. Confidential waste containing marketing plans, details of individual employees, and financial projections should be shredded securely.

Administration

Virtual assistants and other outsourced administrators deal with so many confidential documents.

From business plans, accounts, and company bank statements to travel arrangements, personal banking details for company employees and directors, phone numbers, and email addresses.

Many VAs sign non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements with their clients, so protecting data is a huge part of the service.

Having a secure shredding service on hand to deal with confidential waste – and old hard drives when you upgrade your computers – is a vital part of protecting a VA business.

IT support

Ensuring your old hard drives in PCs and laptops, old phone SIM cards, USB sticks, and image cards are destroyed securely is one of the best ways to protect your clients’ data.

Despite the idea that we’re moving towards paperless offices, there are still hard copies of contracts, bills, invoices, and supplier lists to contend with, too.

So, when it comes to outsourcing, why not take a leaf out of your clients’ books and do a little of the same – outsource your own confidential waste shredding!

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of confidential waste, call our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

In the World Cup of dealing with confidential waste, which country is your business?

Posted on by David Lovatt

Is your business a contender when it comes to dealing with confidential waste? Take our quick quiz to find out…

Q1: It’s time for a major clear-out of your office. Do you…?

  1. Get the recycling bags out. There’s no time to check whether any of the waste you’re throwing out could identify anyone personally.
  2. Ask a member of staff to shred confidential waste paper and get them to take old USBs and image cards to the local waste transfer station.
  3. Look for a confidential waste company on Google, check out the cheapest, and get them to handle and destroy your waste. Get certificates of destruction. Send them your old media including USBs and hard drives too.
  4. Call your ISO-accredited confidential waste service, order in lockable consoles and confidential waste recycling bags, and ensure your waste is separated into confidential and sensitive, with sensitive waste being locked away until collection day.

Q2: You’re upgrading your office computers. What do you do with the old ones?

A: Delete the files on them and take them to your waste transfer station or donate them to charity.

B: Use online programs to shred sensitive files, because deleting them means you’ve just deleted the directory to find them. They are still on there somewhere and someone with the knowledge could find them. Then, get the hardware recycled or donated to charity.

C: Send the hard drives to a confidential waste shredding company for secure shredding, then recycle the old hardware or donate the computers to charity. Get a certificate of destruction for your audit trail.

D: Your confidential waste company is ISO-accredited, so you know they handle that waste to the best standards in the industry. They shred your hard drives, give you a secure audit trail to comply with GDPR, and you can donate or recycle your hardware with peace of mind.

Q3: There’s an investigation into a data breach, and your documents are involved in the probe. Do you…?

A: Panic – you’re not sure whether they were destroyed securely and worry they may be the source of the breach.

B: Ask your staff if they complied with the rules you set, and keep your fingers crossed that they did.

C: Know your documents were sent for secure shredding. That means you’re OK, doesn’t it? You just need to find out if you had a certificate to prove that…

D: Reply quickly to the investigators that your documents were destroyed securely, that they were handled by a company with the highest standards which is ISO compliant, and that you have an audit trail of certificates to prove it. Peace of mind!

MOSTLY As: You’re the England of confidential waste protection. There’s plenty of talent, on paper you should be OK, but something often seems to go wrong. It’s time to go back to basics to ensure your confidential waste is handled and shipped securely, shredded and recycled in a way to protect your clients and employees, and you don’t fall foul of GDPR.

MOSTLY Bs: You’re like Portugal. You have one star player and a solid defensive block! But things could go horribly wrong if all the team aren’t aware of the threats from unusual places to lose data such as image cards for cameras. Plus, if your confidential waste handling systems are all in your head, and not in a plan for all your staff, how can they make them happen?

MOSTLY Cs: You’re Denmark. You started out with some problems but are improving fast and understand what you must do to comply with GDPR and keep your client and staff data safe. You may not be 100% there yet, but you’re well on your way. Take time to review your plans and systems for your confidential waste on a six-monthly basis.

MOSTLY Ds: You’re Germany. Efficient, clinical, you know what it takes to make the grade. There will be no lost data on your watch and you’re always planning to cope with the next threat. You’ll review your confidential waste arrangements several times a year, have a solid audit trail of documents proving your waste was handled correctly, and a process in place to ensure you know where your documents are at all times. We take our hats off to you!

Want to be the Germany of dealing with your confidential waste? We can help! We’re an affordable and secure shredding service in South Wales. If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of confidential waste, call our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

How can solicitors deal with old documents – and comply with GDPR?

Posted on by David Lovatt

As a solicitors you need to comply with GDPR.

There are so many important documents in a solicitor’s office.

From wills and house deeds, to business contracts, client contracts, and statements and briefs for criminal trials.

Many must be held for several years.

However, if your files aren’t destroyed securely after the statutory periods for some legal activity or the practice’s policy period, you could find your office swamped by old paperwork.

So, what are your options?

Staff shredding– This could take a member of staff out of their other duties for four or five hours every week, depending on how busy your practice can be. It’s an onerous task and this is time your staff could be spending dealing with clients, processing paperwork, or chasing invoices. 

Outsourcing– This could save your staff time and it could save your practice money. Your staff time is more valuable spent in other ways. However, you need to know your documentation is being transported and destroyed securely by a company whose staff are checked and vetted.

If you choose outsourcing, here are three questions to ask your prospective contactor:

  1. How will your documents be destroyed and what will happen to them afterwards?You need to know that the shredding facility is secure, that the shredding will destroy the data, and that any recycling will not allow documents to be re-assembled.
  2. What certificates will you receive for your audit trail?With GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) implementation imminent on May 25, it’s vital that you have that paper trail to ensure you’re covered as a practice if there is a data breach. Under the new data regulations, businesses can face a fine of up to 4% of turn-over or 20 million Euros, whichever is the higher. You will need proof of transfer and a certificate of destruction.
  3. Will your provider be compliant with GDPR – and how will the company ensure that? Thisis so important at the moment. Every organisation which sends data outside it must know how its third-party contractors comply with GDPR.

Look for a company where staff are uniformed and security checked to ensure you know who is handling your paperwork – just like Taclus Confidential.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

 

Are you looking for an affordable and secure shredding service in South Wales? If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of confidential waste, call our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

Starting the new financial year with a clear out? Time to sort your confidential waste from the rubbish

Posted on by David Lovatt

At the start of every financial year, it’s important to review your confidential documents and decide which need to be destroyed securely.

This is especially relevant this year, as we all gear up to the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation on May 25. See more about that here.

It’s best to carry out this review BEFORE you start the office Spring clean.

In the middle of a major clear out, confidential and non-confidential documents can become mixed up.

So, separate them carefully.

Here are just some of the documents you should be checking this Spring:

  1. Old staff records– Staff may have moved on several years ago, yet their records may be retained for legal or contractual reasons. It’s recommended that details are held for five years and HMRC may ask to see a past employee’s financial details up to three years after they leave. Once those reasons no longer apply, it’s time to dispose of the records responsibly. They contain information which may be useful to identity thieves such as names, phone numbers, addresses, National Insurance numbers, and bank account details. They often contain details of next of kin, too.
  2. Customer details– This may be letters from or to customers, copies of old orders or receipts, or refunds. Often, they will contain names, addresses, and phone numbers, and some may contain banking details. All this data could cause your business major problems if it falls into the wrong hands.
  3. Supplier information– From order forms and receipts to letters, you may be holding onto documents with a great deal of information about your suppliers. This must be processed carefully.
  4. Your business plans– You may have old versions of your plans which contain confidential projections, details of your cashflow and revenue, and details about people who have significant control in your company. They would prove useful to competitors and identity thieves alike.
  5. Headed notepaper or business cards – Branded items like this could be used in frauds or to poach your clients. They need to be destroyed securely.
  6. Old diaries and meeting notes – Diaries often contain names, phone numbers, and details of appointments, and meeting notes can contain details of business plans, disciplinary matters, or confidential information about employees.

What should you do?

It’s time to look at an affordable, secure confidential shredding service which will free up the time of your staff, save you money, and ensure you have an audit trail to comply with the coming data protection legislation.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

Are you looking for an affordable and secure shredding service in South Wales? If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of confidential waste, call our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected].

In a GDPR panic? Here are the 5 key areas you need to examine

Posted on by David Lovatt

It’s time to stop panicking about the General Data Protection Regulation being brought in on May 25.

There will be strict new rules about dealing with personal data, anything which could lead to the identification of an individual in Europe (including post-Brexit Britain).

Those rules will affect mailing lists, lists of job applicants, client lists, invoices, and other documents. They will apply to paper documents as well as items held on computers.

Yes, it’s the biggest change to data protection in a generation and fines are increasing, but…

Stop! It’s time to focus.

There are five key areas where you need to review how your business operates:

  1. How good is your cyber security?

How do you keep your computers, laptops, phones, and other IT equipment safe?

You need to be safe from someone hacking into your systems and someone spreading viruses.

Is your security being looked after by a reputable firm? That’s one of the best ways to ensure your data is protected. Even then, check what steps hey are taking to ensure they comply with the new rules. Ask for regular reports.

Buying systems in such as invoicing systems or CRMs? Ask the suppliers how they will help you comply, or will they put you, and themselves, at risk of a fine?

  1. Where is the data you hold?

You need to know what data you have, where it is stored, and how it is being used or processed.

That could include MailChimp or other emailing systems, CRM systems, website contact forms, cloud storage systems, spreadsheets, or documents on your laptop or phone.

It could also include physical documents, including confidential waste.

  1. What are your processes?

They need to have data protection built in from the start. That means, how you get the data, how you store it, who processes it, and the legal basis for using the data, all need to be considered before you collect it.

The rights of the people mentioned in the data need to be recognised and honoured from the start. For example, there is a right to be forgotten which means you need to work out how to inform people you have their data, and how they can request you delete it.

  1. What is the legal basis for holding and processing data?

You can process data under GDPR rules if you have:

  • Consent from the subject of the data for the explicit use you plan – for example, you will need specific consent to hold data on a mailing list, not just provide an opt-out box. You’ll also need to specify how regularly you’ll check with the data subjects.
  • A contract which means you need to hold and process it – for example, holding a guarantee.
  • Passing it on to save a life or in the vital interest of the subjects in another way.
  • If you must hold it in the public interest (based in law).
  • Your interest in processing the data is legitimate and doesn’t outweigh the interests of the person involved. This would mean passing an Information Commissioner’s Office Legitimate Interest Assessment.
  1. How will you deal with confidential waste?

Whether in paper form or on flash drives, image cards, or old hard drives, confidential waste could well hold personal data.

So, you will need to have processes in place to ensure they are dealt with and destroyed securely.

A costly data beach could come from the insecure handling of documents, for example.

Outsourcing your confidential waste to a reputable, experienced secure shredding company will help you comply with GDPR.

Who will help you?

The GDPR Alliance includes software firms, law firms, and security specialists, and its members help businesses become compliant with the new GDPR rules. You can find out more about them here.

They will help you put plans in place to cope if something goes wrong and there is a data breach.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has a section on its website with handy tips, advice, and documents. You can find it here.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management, and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

Are you looking for an affordable and secure shredding service in South Wales? If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of confidential waste, call our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected].

Why should South Wales dental practices use a secure shredding company? Here are our top 7 reasons…

Posted on by David Lovatt

Dental practices hold a great deal of sensitive information on paper and on computers.

As we gear up for the huge changes the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will bring in May, with its potential for far higher fines for an organisation which breaches it, now’s the time for dental practices across South Wales to review how they deal with their information.

Now’s the perfect time to decide whether to outsource your secure shredding.

Here are 7 excellent reasons you should consider using a company like Taclus Confidential:

  1. Patient records – There are many sensitive items on a dental patient’s records. From the history of their treatment to their medication, addresses, phone numbers, and notes about potential future treatment. It is still common for many practices to hold paper records, and if they fall into the wrong hands this could result in a practice getting into serious trouble with the health authorities.

  1. Appointment cards – This could give identity thieves and burglars information about patients such as their name, address, and when they will be out of their homes for dental appointments.

  1. Out-of-date advice pamphlets – Medical advice is often updated, and pamphlets become out of date. It’s important that patients get the most current advice, so secure destruction of old pamphlets will ensure they won’t leave with the wrong literature.

  1. Staff rotas – You need your staff to be secure, and someone unscrupulous getting hold of their shift patterns could cause them problems. Shredding them is the answer.

  1. Old hard drives – A great deal of data could be left on old hard drives when you upgrade computers and laptops. It’s important this is destroyed correctly. Simply wiping the hard drive can often just mean wiping the sitemap, and the information is still on there in some form. The best way to ensure your security is shredding the hard drive.

  1. Other media such as phone SIMs, USB sticks, and image cards – It’s amazing how much information we have on our smartphones, USB sticks, and image cards these days. They should be treated in the same way as a computer and they should be shredded securely.

  1. Saving your staff time – It can take hours to fill a few bags with shredded items if you’re shredding it yourself. It can also be far too much for your office shredder! They often can’t cope with the amount of shredding which needs to be done in a modern dental practice. So, it’s both cost-effective and a good use of your employees’ time if you outsource this to a secure provider with a proven track record.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.

Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management, and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.

Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

Is your dental practice looking for an affordable and secure shredding service in South Wales? If you need advice on dealing with the secure destruction of confidential waste, call our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]