Upgrading your home computers and games consoles this Christmas?

There’s nothing better than unwrapping the newest hardware on Christmas morning.

Don’t forget, though, that it’s also time to ensure your old hard drives don’t give away your data.

People do so much on their domestic computers these says:

• Banking – That includes logging into accounts, changing passwords, transferring money, and checking balances.
• Paying bills – Whether it’s utility bills, mobile phone bills, or paying for a childminder, most of us now use our computers to do this.
• Shopping online – From Amazon and eBay to websites for major chains such as Debenhams and Next, small, independent retailers, and supermarkets, most of us are now shopping on the net.
• Social media updates – We love to update our status and browse through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Snapchat.
• Booking medical appointments – Many of us have doctors and dentists who have online booking systems where your details, including the date of birth and address, must be entered.
• Work – Some jobs allow remote working from home, other jobs encourage staff to work flexibly at a time to suit them, and many people now run small businesses from home.

So, what could be stored on your hard drive?

You could have passwords to your bank accounts, social media accounts, or key work accounts stored on your drive, old statements containing credit card details, medical information, business plans, or documents containing confidential work information.

There could be key information which identity thieves could use to create fake social media profiles, fake documents, take out credit cards, or open bank accounts.

If work data is lost, such as the names, phone numbers, and banking details of your colleagues or employees, your employer or your business might fall foul of strict General Data Protection regulation (GDPR) rules governing the data security of third parties.

In the case of serious data breaches, this could mean a fine of up to 4% of the business’s worldwide turnover, or 20 million Euros, whichever is higher.

What can you do to prevent ID thieves from stealing your data this Christmas and New Year?

Deleting files won’t give you the security you need. Clever data thieves know how to access the files even though they’ve been deleted. To them, it’s just like you deleting a directory while all the information remains there.

You need to make sure your old hard drives are shredded securely by an experienced shredding company.

That way, you’ll know your data will not be recovered.

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 hard drives, contact our friendly and efficient team on 02920 676 714, or email [email protected]

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]

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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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]