5 Ways In-house Shredding Puts Your Business at Risk Back

Tangible, confidential information will continuously be circulated across a business of any size. Whether that’s employment records, financial statements or customer details, such information should always be protected.

Under The Data Protection Act of 1998, storing, maintaining, and disposing of such information, in a safe and suitable manner is the duty of any business. While in-house shredding may seem like a proactive disposal strategy, it can also carry many risks of liability, along with wasting time, money, and effort.

Outsourcing such a sensitive responsibility within business can come across as intrusive or unreliable. Yet working with specialists, offering confidential shredding services on an offsite basis will secure the protection and reliability of document management and disposal, reducing any concerns.

At Secure Storage Services, we offer just that, including document storage, scanning, and shredding, boasting many benefits, directly experienced by our clients.

Here are 5 ways in-house shredding puts your business at risk, avoidable through our mission.  

Cost Of In-House Shredding

In-house shredding is understandably perceived as worthwhile, as the cost of document management can be controlled. By this, although the reliability of disposal is low, keeping an eye on the expenses attached to in-house shredding is possible.

However, in reality, recruiting a team for in-house shredding will be costly, will turn into a timely responsibility if the footfall of data is high, and will require stringent processes in place.

For some businesses, the cost of onsite shredding will be worthwhile, usually for those with little to no tangible documentation. However, for those with regular documentation, passing through the business, the cost of in-house shredding will end as a risk, rather than a benefit.

Here are 5 ways in-house shredding puts your business at risk, instead of avoided through the benefits of offsite confidential shredding services.  

5 Ways In-House Shredding Puts Your Business At Risk  

1. Dangers Of Identity Theft  

If information ends up in the wrong hands, which can be possible through the unreliability of in-house shredding, identity theft dangers are high. In-house shredding will require around the clock management, by a dedicated team, ensuring that all processes are safeguarded, are monitored and are mindful of such dangers.

It’s however likely that maintaining such an influx of documentation can be challenging for an in-house team, posing such risks. Whether that’s the identity of a customer or an employee, theft can be encountered through the misplacement or inappropriate storing/shredding of information.  

2. Unguaranteed Customer Protection  

Customer protection, under The Data Protection Act, should be a guarantee. Yet the unreliability of in-house shredding cannot deliver such confidence. It is a duty of care and an act of accountability to protect all personal and sensitive data of customers, along with using such information appropriately. A disorganised and disjointed process of in-house shredding cannot guarantee such accountability to the standards of offsite protection.  

3. Risks Of Information Leaks  

Information leaks can be detrimental for businesses. They can either be a genuine accident or intentional, both however damaging and potentially incriminating. Whether that’s a leak resulting in fraudulent activity, leaks violating data protection legislation, or leaks that end up in the hands of competitors, business-related information will benefit from extra security. Security is challenging to continuously promise through the capacity of in-house shredding, extremely risky for business.

Possible information leaks, usually from disorganised and unreliable data protection can also result in a PR crisis, circulating such sensitive data to the masses. Through the security of offsite document management, crises can be suppressed.  

4. Unreliable Employee Protection 

One of the 5 ways in-house shredding puts your business at risk focuses on employee protection. Employee data, such as employment contracts, personal information, and financial details should be protected, to the extent of customer protection.

Environmental factors of in-house shredding put businesses at risk, posing them as unreliable, unproductive, and as unethical. As information can be wrongly accessed, can be inappropriately disposed of, or can even be accidentally shredded prior to correct timelines, onsite shredding is discouraged.  

5. Legal Implications  

Shredding documentation correctly, following the right timeline is a legal requirement of any business. Without following stringent and guaranteed processes, legal implications are attached, reducing the desirability of in-house shredding. Onsite shredding may seem like a protective strategy as information is kept in-house. Yet without specialist measures in place, risks will always be present, jeopardising the discretion of employee and customer data.

There are many factors that can increase the risks of in-house shredding, from the workplace environment and the reliability of processes to the organisation, management, and legal knowledge of data protection. While onsite shredding will be reliable for some businesses, those with complex, consistent, or highly sensitive documentation will benefit from reducing the risks of in-house shredding.

Offsite vs Onsite Shredding

Onsite shredding is beneficial at face value, offering control over the footprint and expense of document shredding. Yet, such benefits are seen to dwindle as the influx of documentation continues to carry through a business.

Supporting the offsite offering of confidential shredding, while an investment through outsourcing workload, the value of security, assurance, legal accountability and of full document management can be experienced.

There are many advantages to offsite document management, reducing all risks for businesses, whilst offering a proactive strategy for storing, organising, retrieving, and disposing of data. Offered here at Secure Storage Solutions, we support a wealth of sectors including legal, healthcare and HR to protect the circulation, visibility, and retention of information.

The above 5 ways in-house shredding puts your business at risk can be minimised by outsourcing storage and shredding activity, along with offering more time to focus on in-house responsibility. Not only that, but tangible documentation can also be a thing of the past through our scanning service, offering reliable access, safe storage and retention plans for each client.

Contact our team at Secure Storage Services to make use of our safe, specialist environments, services, and strategies to protect business through offsite shredding.