Onsite vs Offsite Shredding - Which One To Pick?

Did you know that it has been recommended by Singapore’s data regulation watchdog, Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) that one of the best ways to securely dispose of physical data such as paper and storage media is through shredding[1]? Physical data in paper form and on storage media such hard disk drives are easily accessible by anyone, if placed in regular open bins.

Any sort of sensitive data such as full names, credit card and NRIC numbers that are stored in those documents, are considered very valuable, especially to criminals such as data mongers and hackers. They can easily manipulate the data for various illegal activities such as money laundering, identity theft and fraud. To deter such detriment, organisations and individuals are recommended to engage a third party data destruction company to securely dispose of confidential information.

Benefits of onsite and offsite shredding

Shred-it’s secure document destruction ensures that all unwanted and old paper documents are securely destroyed through shredding before they are recycled. Shred-it’s secure chain of destruction starts right from its tamper-proof containers where all discarded papers are destroyed securely. Each container is locked and is only accessible by an authorised Shred-it personnel during every collection.

For flexibility, Shred-it also offers customers to choose from an onsite or offsite shredding service. For those who opt for the onsite service, their documents will be collected by professional personnel and immediately shredded on the spot in the Shred-it truck which is equipped with state-of-the-industry shredders. Customers will be able to also witness this process and be provided with a Certificate of Destruction after the service is complete. As for the offsite shredding service, customers’ documents will be collected and transported to Shred-it’s secure facility where they will be destroyed. Shred-it also ensures that all destroyed documents are recycled to help sustain the planet.

Importance of having a secure data protection procedure

While organisations are constantly trying to secure and protect their confidential data from external threats such as hackers, they should also remember that a significant portion of data breaches can happen from internal sources – such as through employees. Hence, it is important for organisations to have data protection procedures in place in order to avoid being non-compliant with the data regulation watchdogs like the PDPC and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Your organisations’ Data Protection Officer (DPO) plays an important role in ensuring that data security measures are implemented and effectively practiced by each and every employee. Examples include:

• Implementing workplace procedures such as the Shred-it All Policy and a Clean Desk Policy;
• Displaying Security Reminder Posters in hot spot areas of the office such as the printing room and file room. The posters will act as a constant reminder for employees to ensure data protection;
• Having sound policies to ensure additional layers of checks and balances during normal operational workflow in order to prevent human error and act as a line of defence.

Protecting your data with secure shredding

Learn more about how Shred-it can safeguard your unwanted documents and hard drives by contacting us for a free quote and security risk assessment.

[1] Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore. 2016. GUIDE TO DISPOSAL OF PERSONAL DATA ON PHYSICAL MEDIUM. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.pdpc.gov.sg/-/media/Files/PDPC/PDF-Files/Other-Guides/guide-to-disposal-of-personal-data-in-physical-medium-(200117).pdf. [Accessed 12 February 2019]