Security of Paper Documents in the Workplace
A recent study conducted by Ponemon Institute and sponsored by the Alliance for Secure Business Information (ASBI) shows data breach is not electronic its physical paper!
In this study, the vast majority of respondents (80%) who self-reported that their organizations had a data breach, state that they had one or more data breaches in the past 12 months. Forty-nine percent state that one or more of these data breaches involved the loss or theft of paper documents.
In fact, 71% of participants in the study were aware of an incident in which sensitive or confidential paper documents were lost or misplaced in their organization and 53% believe that employees are putting them at risk at communal printers, in meeting rooms or at meetings held outside the office.
The final survey sample consisted of 819 individuals who work in IT operations, IT security, data protection and compliance in large organizations in a variety of industries. Respondents in this sample were selected randomly for the study because of their experience and expertise in assisting their organizations secure sensitive and confidential information and considered the most informed about risks associated with lost or stolen paper documents. Each respondent worked in an organization that had at least one data breach.
According to the study, businesses should be more responsive to the importance of protecting paper documents containing confidential information.
Contact a professional document shredding company today!!! SHRED-ALL DOCUMENTS is a Kentucky company you can trust with your sensitive material.
To view the complete study visit DATA BREACH STUDY
In this study, the vast majority of respondents (80%) who self-reported that their organizations had a data breach, state that they had one or more data breaches in the past 12 months. Forty-nine percent state that one or more of these data breaches involved the loss or theft of paper documents.
In fact, 71% of participants in the study were aware of an incident in which sensitive or confidential paper documents were lost or misplaced in their organization and 53% believe that employees are putting them at risk at communal printers, in meeting rooms or at meetings held outside the office.
The final survey sample consisted of 819 individuals who work in IT operations, IT security, data protection and compliance in large organizations in a variety of industries. Respondents in this sample were selected randomly for the study because of their experience and expertise in assisting their organizations secure sensitive and confidential information and considered the most informed about risks associated with lost or stolen paper documents. Each respondent worked in an organization that had at least one data breach.
According to the study, businesses should be more responsive to the importance of protecting paper documents containing confidential information.
Contact a professional document shredding company today!!! SHRED-ALL DOCUMENTS is a Kentucky company you can trust with your sensitive material.
To view the complete study visit DATA BREACH STUDY
New Federal Law Protects Gift Card Users
Is that gift card you received for your birthday last month burning a hole in your pocket? Do you still have an unused gift card from the holidays? Consumers often have had to worry about using gift cards before they lost their value. That will now begin to change for the better with a new federal law (the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act) that provides important protections for gift cards sold on or after August 22, 2010.
The new law applies to both store gift cards and bank-issued gift cards. Store gift cards can be used only at a particular store or group of stores, such as a book store or clothing retailer. Bank-issued gift cards include those with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover logo.
However, the law does not apply to cards that are given as a reward or as part of a promotion (for example, a free gift card given to you by a store if you purchase merchandise or services). Likewise, the new law does not cover other types of prepaid cards, (for example, a re-loadable prepaid card with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover brand logo that is intended to be used like a checking account substitute). The new federal law provides the following consumer protections:
• Limits on expiration dates. The money on your gift card will be good for at least five years from the date the card is purchased. Any money that might be added to the card at a later date must also be good for at least five years.
• Limits on fees. Gift card fees typically are subtracted from the money on the card. Under the new rules, many gift card fees are limited. Generally, fees can be charged only if you haven't used your card for at least one year and you are only charged one fee per month. These restrictions apply to fees such as dormancy or inactivity fees for not using your card, fees for using your card (sometimes called usage fees), fees for adding money to your card, and maintenance fees.
You can still be charged a fee to purchase the card and certain other fees, such as a fee to replace a lost or stolen card. Make sure you read your gift card disclosure carefully to know what fees your card may have.
In addition to the federal law, some states provide additional consumer protections for gift card users. In some states, the law may provide greater protection than the federal law. To read more about this new law visit www.privacyrights.org.
The new law applies to both store gift cards and bank-issued gift cards. Store gift cards can be used only at a particular store or group of stores, such as a book store or clothing retailer. Bank-issued gift cards include those with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover logo.
However, the law does not apply to cards that are given as a reward or as part of a promotion (for example, a free gift card given to you by a store if you purchase merchandise or services). Likewise, the new law does not cover other types of prepaid cards, (for example, a re-loadable prepaid card with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover brand logo that is intended to be used like a checking account substitute). The new federal law provides the following consumer protections:
• Limits on expiration dates. The money on your gift card will be good for at least five years from the date the card is purchased. Any money that might be added to the card at a later date must also be good for at least five years.
• Limits on fees. Gift card fees typically are subtracted from the money on the card. Under the new rules, many gift card fees are limited. Generally, fees can be charged only if you haven't used your card for at least one year and you are only charged one fee per month. These restrictions apply to fees such as dormancy or inactivity fees for not using your card, fees for using your card (sometimes called usage fees), fees for adding money to your card, and maintenance fees.
You can still be charged a fee to purchase the card and certain other fees, such as a fee to replace a lost or stolen card. Make sure you read your gift card disclosure carefully to know what fees your card may have.
In addition to the federal law, some states provide additional consumer protections for gift card users. In some states, the law may provide greater protection than the federal law. To read more about this new law visit www.privacyrights.org.
