Paper shredding for GDPR compliance in the office

GDPR is a buzz at the moment and digital security is high up on a company’s priorities list. But let’s not forget the importance of paper and physical data security. It could be very costly to skip over the importance of maintaining a secure process of getting rid of paper-based documents. All companies are responsible for how they manage data and this includes all printed material. Paper documents can be very easy to fall into the wrong hands, either accidentally or intentionally. Have you ever simply dropped a piece of paper on the way out to the bin? It’s now more important than ever to ensure all of the data you are holding is kept secure.

How do I reduce risk?

Paper shredding documents is the most secure way to dispose of that information and will help reduce your risk of that information falling into the wrong hands. Anyone can read documents that are still in-tact, so by putting them straight into a recycling bin you are exposing yourself and company.

Paper shredders are simple to use and are quiet in an office environment. It makes sense to make a paper shredder easily accessible for everyone in your office. If you make sure to get a shredder suited to the size of your office, you can be sure it will be up to the task and no-one will be left waiting and just leaving piles of paper at the machine.

Top tips

• Don’t forget about paper-based security. Even in the digital world we live in, it is still very important.
• Always ensure there is a suitable paper shredder easily accessible for everyone in your office to use.
• Never stack material near a shredder and walk away. Always put it straight in the paper shredder.
• Always use a cross-cut shredder at a minimum. If you are using a strip cut shredder, consider if it’s shredding at a high enough standard and look at upgrading.
• Did you know you can also shred hard drives? When disposing of old computers, consider using a hard drive shredder to ensure the data is not recoverable.