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School’s Out! Another term in lockdown is over and what a mad year it has been! Time to clear out your papers, books and storage….time to use Taclus!

Who would have thought in January that the rest of the school year would have been like this? Who would have thought that all our lives would have changed so dramatically? Thank you so much to all education staff everywhere who have adapted their teaching to help pupils and students during lockdown! You’ve done it! And breathe……time for ……well, sitting in the garden, reading books, catching up on box sets, long walks…..whatever you are able to do whilst adhering to social distancing.

But also time for school or department refurbishments, clear-outs, and improvements.

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

Make sure 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 2020/21?

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).

Organise a one-off shred

We know that school staff will be working over the summer to prepare for next year and to make necessary adjustments to enable pupils to return in September.

So, why not arrange a one-off collection? 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?

We offer confidential paper waste and hard drive destruction services at competitive prices. And we have a special offer for schools too with one free clear-out per term!

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]

Are you part of the outsourcing revolution? Outsource your shredding too!

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

In fact, they account for 94% of all businesses, a 2019 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]

Can you afford NOT to use a shredding service?

The cost of being sloppy with your confidential waste shredding is spiralling.

The average fine for data breaches has doubled over the past year, City law firm RPC has calculated. It says the Information Commissioner’s Office imposed almost £5 million in fines between September 2017 and September 18, an increase of 24% on the previous year.

The average fine is now £146,000, a substantial potential cost facing any business which does not handle its confidential waste shredding or data storage correctly.

Recent high profile fines include the £500,000 imposed on credit-reporting company Equifax after a hacker gained access to the personal details of 15 million people, and the £500,000 imposed on Facebook for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Up to 87 million account holders had their data harvested without their knowledge.

The Facebook fine was imposed under the Data Protection Act 1998, rather than GDPR where the maximum penalty is up to 4% of worldwide annual turnover or €20m, whichever is greater. The incident fell outside RPC’s calculations because of the reporting time.

However, RPC says this increase in fines should be a “wake-up call” to businesses to ensure their confidential data is held and destroyed securely.

Given the fact SMEs make up 99.9% of the businesses in the UK, according to Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills statistics, most have fewer than 50 employees and the average UK annual turnover is around £500,000, the burden of the average fine for data breaches could be devastating for them.

How can confidential waste shredding help keep your online data safe?

One of the easiest ways for hackers to gain access to your system is to check through your waste paper or old hard drives and USB sticks to get information on passwords, software, hardware, and IP addresses which access it regularly.

Think about all the information we print out, write on sticky notes on our desks, or keep filed away in drawers, and all the data we have on old hard drives.

If you’re disposing of that sort of confidential paper waste or waste media, secure shredding ensures those details don’t pass into the hands of hackers.

It also ensures you’re meeting your requirements under GDPR, the General Data Protection Regulation.

Your data controller will need to show the systems you have in place to ensure the personal data you hold about staff, customers, and suppliers is secure.

Any documents you no longer need with personal details such as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, National Insurance numbers, copies of ID documents such as passports and driving licences, or medical or disciplinary records would fall into the confidential waste category.

Why you should choose Taclus Confidential

  • 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 confidential waste shredding, contact our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

Ever lost a memory stick?

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 GDPR 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]

Time for a clear-out? Old contracts can leave you exposed….

Do you need a clear-out?

Have you been hanging on to old contracts for employees and clients?

If you no longer need them, it’s time to ensure they’re dealt with securely.

They’re legal documents, many contain confidential employee details, and if your competitors get their hands on them it could give them an edge over you in business.

What would happen if fraudsters got their hands on these documents? They could cause havoc for your business.

While most businesses deal with contracts at some point, this is particularly relevant for professionals and companies which use them regularly.

Solicitors, estate agents, car leasing firms, and service providers such as telecommunications companies can deal with contracts on a daily basis.

Employee and client contracts will often contain names, addresses, details of next of kin, phone numbers, personal emails, and banking details.

Losing them could lead to identity theft or bank fraud and claims for compensation from your clients or employees.

This could prove disastrous for your business financially and for your company’s reputation.

The General Data Protection Regulations mean your business faces severe penalties in the most serious cases of data protection breaches.

That could be a £500,000 fine or a fine of up to 4% of your business’ worldwide turnover, whichever is larger. This is a far higher penalty than businesses currently face under the Data Protection Act.

So, losing data on several contracts could mean your business facing ruin.

How steep a penalty businesses face depends on whether they have documented processes in place to protect employee and client data, and how quickly they react to breaches.

Consider using Taclus Confidential – a South Wales secure shredding company

Taclus Confidential provides lockable consoles which can be used when destroying old contracts.

Once placed in the console, only key holders can remove the documents which will be recycled.

Do you have old blank paper contracts? Make sure they’re destroyed, too. Otherwise, someone unscrupulous could claim they work for your business to obtain people’s data.

Do you have digital contracts on old hard drives or flash drives? Taclus Confidential shreds those drives securely, too.

Using a dedicated service like ours has several benefits:

  • Staff are checked and all data is destroyed securely
  • We provide you with certificates of destruction – so you can prove you have systems to deal with confidential data
  • We have a zero-landfill policy
  • Our prices are competitive because of our low overheads
  • We save you time and money by freeing up your staff to do their core work
  • 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 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].

Shredding? What’s the big fuss about?

I know that we’re a bit odd in that we think about shredding all day, every day, (except sometimes on Sundays), but what about you? It probably takes up a tiny part of your brain space. It you were asked to name a shredding company, you might be able to name the big one (Sssshhhh, we don’t mention it here), or maybe another, and if we’re really lucky, you may be on this site because you have noticed our eye-catching vans and handsome drivers about town. But the likelihood is that you don’t really know much about shredding and why it’s so important. So, this post is to give you a whistle stop tour of what the point of shredding is.

Privacy breaches put individuals and businesses at risk. Businesses much ensure that a customer’s data is protected both online and in paper/disc form and disposed of securely.

So, here’s what you need to think about when it comes to paper shredding services…

Storing your waste

Bags– For confidential waste in businesses where there is no public access, having a flexible bag service and collection whenever necessary is useful.

Lockable consoles– For businesses where there is public access on site, a large number of employees, or where sensitive data is held (such as in dental surgeries or legal practices), having lockable consoles keeps that data secure.

Deciding on the right paper shredding services

Each business needs to decide which service is right for them. Here are the choices…
One-off shredding– Perfect for the spring clean or annual office clear-out. We understand that our clients need to do this from time to time, so we don’t set a limit in the number of one-off collections.

Regular collections– Ideal for any business or organisation which needs regular assistance to keep on top of confidential paper waste.

Off-site shredding– Your confidential waste is taken in a secure van by vetted staff to our secure shredding facility and shredded to fine particles. You get a certificate of destruction and an audit trail so that you can prove your commitment to GDPR.

On-site shredding – Also known as mobile shredding, this allows businesses with sensitive data to see those documents shredded in front of them on their own site. This is useful for business such as care homes, solicitors, and accountants. You also get a certificate of destruction and an audit trail so that you can also prove your commitment to GDPR.

How you can choose the right paper shredding company

  1. Look at their accreditations and make sure they comply with the latest standards for quality and environmental management.
  2. Look at their current clients. Are they in a similar industry to yours or are they of a similar size with similar challenges? Shredding companies which are already servicing businesses similar to yours will understand the challenges you face.
  3. Get testimonials from clients. Look at their ratings on independent review sites.

Why should you choose Taclus Confidential?

Because we tick all the boxes above and more!

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 paper shredding services, contact our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email enquiries@taclusconfident

Are you really GDPR-compliant?

It’s been around nearly three years now and all the initial systems have been put in place; now is the time to re-visit the question – are you really GDPR compliant in the way you run your business?

Over the Christmas break I was talking to a friend casually about our work and by chance she brought up that her workplace (a housing association) didn’t really seem to have any rules or regulations about confidential waste. More than that, she said that some people disposed of EVERYTHING securely, while other parts of the office disposed of NOTHING securely……(depending on where they were sat in the open-plan office maybe?). This was so surprising to me – after all, I thought, surely everyone is aware of the dangers of data security by now? But seemingly not. It was a sharp reminder to me that there are still many organisations out there that would benefit so much from understanding the rules and then ensuring that the rules are carried out…..so here is an update of what’s what in the GDPR world…..

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 they 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?

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.
  • 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. Can you think of anyone?! Yes, at Taclus we are just the people for the job and would love to talk you you about how we can help you.

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].

GP, dental and other healthcare practices – act now!

GP, dental and other healthcare practices hold a great deal of sensitive information on paper and on computers.

As GDPR becomes part of our daily life now, we are all aware of the potential it brings for far higher fines for an organisation which breaches it. So as January comes to an end, this is an excellent time for GP and dental practices to review how they deal with their information.

At Taclus, we recommend that you outsource your secure shredding to us (of course)!

Here are 7 excellent reasons you should consider using us:

  • Patient records – There are many sensitive items on a 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

We are fully accredited for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management..

We have been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.

We are the friendliest bunch of people in the business! We are also the best value and offer the best service!

If your GP, dental or healthcare practice is looking for an affordable and secure shredding service in South Wales, or 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]

On the Twelfth Shred of Christmas my client gave to me……

On the Twelfth Shred of Christmas my client gave to me…..

…… Twelve Archive Boxes

……Eleven Travel Brochures

……Ten School Clear-outs

……Nine Legal Folders

…..Eight branded jackets

……Seven Pop-up Banners

……Six Tonnes of Paper

……Five Storage Bins

…..Four calling cards

…..Three Year Ends

…..two purple books

….And a hard drive from a PC!

And we’ve done it!  Last but most certainly not least…..twelve archive boxes……all business have got them, but when it gets to the end of their retention life, make sure they go to a good place……to Taclus Confidential.  We will lovingly dispose of them securely and ensure that all the paper has gone to a better place.

And now, as we celebrate this wonderful time of year I’d like to give a shout out to the charities we have supported this year – Keep Wales Tidy and Movember, Bullies Out and Prostate Cymru.  We really believe in the environment and in recycling, but we also believe in giving back…..it is really important to us that as we grow, so we help others around us.  Next year we will continue to work with Keep Wales Tidy and our second nominated charity will be Ty Hafan, one of Wales’ leading paediatric palliative care charities.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Nadolig Llawen i chi gyd!

On the Eleventh Shred of Christmas my client gave to me…..

On the Eleventh Shred of Christmas my client gave to me…..

……Eleven Travel Brochures

……Ten School Clear-outs

……Nine Legal Folders

…..Eight branded jackets

……Seven Pop-up Banners

……Six Tonnes of Paper

……Five Storage Bins

…..Four calling cards

…..Three Year Ends

…..two purple books

….And a hard drive from a PC!

If you are anything like this blog writer, January will involve time spent dreaming of summer sun.  So if you pick up travel brochures, make sure you put them into the confidential waste sack instead of the normal bin……..even though the paper from brochures is coated, it is still recyclable and can still be added to normal paper for shredding and producing paper towels.