Handling Sensitive data in the work place

A recent study has shown that UK business and firms employees are 'mishandling sensitive data'. The study and the data were collected for National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, and also found that three-quarters of workers felt their employers should be doing a lot more to protect their customers/employees sensitive information.

Using a HSM shredder to dispose of any paper documents containing any sensitive information will of course will reduce the likely hood of you been effected by ID fraud. In the UK it is thought about a third of all UK employees will just throw away documents and or not destroy them correctly using a hsm shredder.

ID theft and the associated crimes that come with it costs the UK more than £1.2bn annually. A recent document published by the UK's Fraud Prevention Service indicted that a potential 60,000 people fall victim to ID theft every year.

Just encase you have been living in a bubble and don't know what ID theft/fraud means, it is basically where criminals steal your personal details and then use them. Such things they may use them for include applying for credit cards or using your details to fund their life style. The worrying thing is usually the people who have had their identity stolen never find out until its to late.

Shocking Results

A recent survey carried out asked 1,000 people and employees and of 1000 asked only 36% didn't know or were unsure if their employer had a strict policy in place on handling and disposing of any potentially sensitive documents.

Out of the 1000 people asked 64% of them admitted to failing to shred sensitive personal documents at home. Which is actually worse as this can affect you as an individual massively, due to not taking care of all your bank details etc.

Even more worryingly is that 12% of people asked  said they used the internet without having any security software in place! Using antivirus software is your first line of defence when it comes to staying safe online, and with so many good free anti virus software available there is really no excuse.

21% regularly checked their bank accounts and statements to make sure of any unknown transactions have occurred.

National Identity Fraud Prevention Week spokesman, Tyron Hill, said the threat of identity fraud was "real and current".