The importance of paper shredding for your privacy
Business documents can easily be exposed to criminality if they are not secured or shredded. This is how a shredder makes a difference.
Most businesses in South Africa still print on paper, despite the rise of digital communication. To maintain legal compliance, knowing which types of documents must be shredded is essential. Protecting against potential privacy and security breaches requires the safe destruction of sensitive records.
In South Africa, document security is still at the centre of all the major compliance and privacy requirements. Secure document disposal is no longer just good practise, it’s a legal requirement. A violation of privacy regulations is punishable by law.
Why you need to shred to protect
Employers must protect the personal information of their employees and customers in accordance with the law. Personal information housed in a database behind a firewall and protected by passwords will be harder to access than paper copies. For this reason, keeping these records out of the wrong hands is of the utmost importance.
Protecting your privacy
Identity theft can be perpetrated using any paper trail a person leaves behind. If you don’t conduct paper shredding before disposal, identity thieves can use the information contained within them to open new accounts in your name, such as credit cards or passports.
It may not seem possible that someone would go through your trash cans in order to steal your identity, but unfortunately, it does occur.
Safeguarding your business
As the adage goes, knowledge is power. Today’s businesses produce massive amounts of data, much of which is written down but seldom used. If this is not disposed of properly, anyone who wants it could potentially have access to private data, including payroll records and prototype designs.
Someone with malicious intent, such as an identity thief or an irate former employee, may be interested in obtaining such details.
Whether it’s a strategy document or the numbers behind financial estimates and forecasting, every company generates business-critical data on a regular basis. As soon as it is no longer needed, you can safely erase private data using paper shredding.
If sensitive information about your company leaks to the wrong people, it could have serious consequences, such as helping your competitors gain an advantage or damaging public opinion of your brand.
It’s good for CSR
People are more likely to do business with a company if they see that it has similar values and goals as they do. Establishing green credentials through more sustainable decisions and environmentally friendly company operations is an area of CSR that is currently receiving a lot of attention.
It is significantly simpler to meet CSR requirements if you commit to a regular schedule of confidential paper shredding. Shredded paper may be recycled without adding to landfill waste. Paper shredding is an easy method for businesses to show they are committed to corporate social responsibility this year.
Documents containing sensitive information should be shredded securely. It helps maintain a high CSR profile and makes it simpler to adhere to regulations.
Final thoughts
Shredding documents may be a straightforward procedure, but it is now an absolute necessity for any company. We all know that company identity theft can result from exposed sensitive papers that were not properly disposed of.
Recent legislative shifts, however, have also increased the frequency with which paper must be shredded to meet compliance criteria. Consequently, sensitive paper shredding has become one of the most crucial internal operations for every business that wants to expand lawfully while still protecting its customers’ personal information.
You might also be interested in: POPIA, your business, third-party engagements and privacy laws relation explained
