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Wednesday 21 November, 2007

Businesses should learn lessons with ID fraud back in the spotlight

With the security breach by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in the media glare, businesses should be learning lessons about the importance of protecting confidential information, says the British Security Industry Association.

"Compliance with the Data Protection Act is imperative for every business," says BSIA Information Destruction Section Chairman, Anthony Pearlgood. "By contravening the requirements of the Act and not sufficiently protecting confidential information, businesses run the risk of prosecution by the Office of the Information Commissioner."

"Ensuring that confidential information is disposed of responsibly is an essential part of compliance with the data protection legislation. The BSIA has produced a Security Waste Audit which will help businesses assess whether their confidential waste is being disposed of securely. The Association advises engaging the services of a BSIA information destruction company to shred all confidential material. By making sure that you have stringent confidential waste disposal procedures in place, you will protect not only your business, but also your customers and suppliers from the risk of identity fraud."

All BSIA information destruction section members must hold ISO 9001:2000 accreditation and will be inspected to BS 8470, the British Standard for the destruction of confidential material, as part of their ISO accreditation audit procedure. The BSIA's Security Waste Audit is available to download by clicking here.

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