A Confidential Christmas

With Christmas decorations, festive songs, school Christmas shows and presents to wrap, it is easy to get caught up in the spirit of Christmas. Many people consider Christmas as a time for giving, but what if you are giving away your confidential information as well as cards and gifts?

With more and more people falling victim to identity theft, it is important that you try and do all you can to protect yourself, your family and your business from falling victim too.

Secure Storage And Shredding

Avoid leaving confidential documents lying around – keep them stored in a secure location and if possible keep a record of what you are storing. If you remove documents from this location, ensure they are returned once you have finished with them. Keep an eye on bank statements/online accounts and report any unusual or incorrect transactions. If you are having an “open house” over Christmas, ensure your confidential files are stored out of sight.

Criminals can easily build a picture of you (and steal your identity) from documents such as bank statements, so if you are disposing of any “identity sensitive” paperwork, ensure it is shredded rather than simply torn up and thrown away with general waste.

Check Websites And Passwords

With many of us using computers for work and leisure, online identity theft is on the increase. When browsing the internet, especially if making Christmas present purchases online, ensure the website is secure (look for the https at the beginning of the website link and a padlock symbol in the browser window frame).

Email and social media accounts are often hacked when passwords are “weak” e.g. birthdays or names. Ensure your passwords are as strong as possible, using combinations of capital letters, numbers and lowercase letters. Although it is tempting to write your passwords or PINs down, consider what could happen if those details fell into the wrong hands.

If you are concerned about your confidentiality this Christmas, contact Cube Records Management Services to find out how we can help you. 

Christmas Office Clearout

With December soon to be upon us, lots of offices will be putting up decorations to create a festive working environment during the build up to Christmas.

However, when it comes to taking them down, should it only be the decorations that we tidy away? Take a moment to look around your office. Is your office a welcoming environment? Are work spaces tidy? Are your documents and files stored neatly?

With many businesses winding down over the Christmas period, why not take an opportunity to have a good Christmas Office Clearout?

Take time to sort through your office files and documentation. Are they stored neatly? What provisions are in place for protecting confidential documents? Should confidential files be left on office desks?   

If you have documents to dispose of, ensure they are disposed of correctly. Confidential waste should not be thrown out with regular waste. To avoid risking the security of your data, ensure confidential files that are no longer required are shredded and put in confidential waste sacks.  

Taking the time to have a good office clearout prior to the Christmas break will enable you to return after Christmas to a clearer and smoother running office environment.

Will you be having an office clearout this Christmas?