We are fast approaching the one year anniversary of the 2018 GDPR EU Regulations becoming law. With GDPR compliance being a focus point throughout 2018 for many, the question of to what extent the legislation has effected businesses, is at the forefront for many.
Since coming into effect on 25th May 2018, GDPR changed the way that many organisations were required to store their data. The regulation reshaped the way that data is handled in a range of sectors, from banking industries to SME’s, any company holding personal data was required to comply with the act.
With GDPR Today and reports highlighting fines to date totalling in excess of €51m for GDPR breaches since 25th May 2018, the EU Commission have made clear that businesses not complying with regulations will face large, and possibly detrimental, penalties. On average, during the first month of GDPR being in place, nearly 1,700 data breaches were reported, with an estimated 36,000 reports in total being filed in 2018.
So, how did your business comply? Through changing your sign-up forms online? Making your online mailing lists secure? Or through shredding private and confidential documents, not previously stored securely in the workplace?
A vital element of GDPR compliance, was the storage of personal data. With a large proportion of data and documentation being paper, GDPR brought a need for businesses to securely destroy any printed and physical data. With that in mind, many businesses brought a halt to in-house shredding and began to outsource for their shredding needs. Outsourcing shredding has a multitude of benefits – especially when ensuring GDPR compliance.
Outsourcing shredding provides companies a certificate of destruction- ensuring that if ever audited, the business has a trail to demonstrate fully compliant document disposal. Carbon Neutral B&M Secure Shredding are an accredited secure data destruction provider, working to BS EN 15713:2009 standards and awarded the prestigious ISO 9001 accreditation. All documentation shredded with B&M is in accordance with the BS 15713 standard- 16mm cross-cut.
Looking back on the year in review, Paul Curtis, Director at B&M Secure Shredding, commented: “Almost one year on from GDPR Legislation coming into force, B&M has seen an increase in businesses looking to securely and compliantly destroy any data, in line with their data protection procedures and policies.
Our customers are confident that we are adhering to both legislation and BSIA guidelines, with a clear audit trail to prove destruction of any documents and paperwork that we shred. Aside from GDPR, secure shredding is advantageous to businesses taking caution in the handling of sensitive and private information too. Secure shredding removes the possibility of any paperwork getting into the hands of unwanted people and provides peace of mind to businesses wanting to ensure document safety. What’s more, as a Carbon Neutral company with an environmental focus, we ensure all paperwork is 100% recycled.”
If you would like to know more about how B&M Secure Shredding can support you and your company with your shredding needs, click here.
