Keep or Shred? ShredPro’s Confidential Document Management Guide

In today’s business world, whatever your line of work, it is more important than ever to protect your confidential data.

From employee records to financial documents, there are many types of documents that should be stored and shredded securely to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

After the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation in 2018, which removed the cap on the fines which the Information Commissioner’s Office could issue, we have seen some of the biggest penalties for data breaches where companies have failed to protect customer data.

During 2020/2021, the ICO issued a record amount of £42m in fines, representing a 1580% increase from the previous year. Technological changes in the way we do key tasks plus the shift to hybrid working has created new challenges for all businesses when it comes to data security and compliance.

ShredPro is a professional paper shredding company that offers secure, efficient and cost-effective shredding and recycling services all year round, wherever your staff are operating and in whichever sector.

We ensure customers achieve the highest standards in the industry to ensure maximum protection of your confidential information while helping the planet, recycling your shredding to reduce the demand for natural resources.

How we help

ShredPro issues a Certificate of Destruction on site, which means you are not waiting for confirmation that your confidential documents have been disposed and therefore no longer liable for them.

Our shredders are built into our vehicles and are 40x faster than your regular office shredder and 3x faster than some of our competitors, allowing us to dispose of your documents in super quick time.

Why it matters

The Information Commissioner’s Office has the powers to enforce fines for breaches of data. The higher maximum amount for offences is £17.5 million or 4% of the total annual worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, whichever is higher. The ICO says: “You must ensure that you have appropriate security measures in place to protect the personal data you hold.” The ICO adds: “Deleting records that you no longer need, or are not proportionate to retain any longer, is an essential part of a good records management system.”

Practical steps you can take

When it comes to confidential document management, the first step is to decide which documents you need to keep. Check data regulations to find out whether there is a required retention period for your documentation.

If documents do need to be kept, the next thing to consider is how they can be stored securely to protect confidential data. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires businesses to protect all personal data in a secure manner. Personal data includes information on employees, workers, contractors, agency staff, job applicants, customers and suppliers.

Once you have decided which documents do not need to be kept and can be destroyed, it is vital that this is done securely. Documents that need to be destroyed with extra care are those that contain personal identifying information such as HR records, CVs, signatures, bank statements, financial details, payslips, invoices and customer data.

Shredding your sensitive documents is the best way to protect your data. When documents are shredded, they are rendered unreadable, making it impossible for unauthorised individuals to access your data.

One option is an office shredder, which can be cheap and effective if only required on a small scale. However, for large organisations it can be more time and cost effective to outsource services, as well as a lot more secure.

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our shredding services. We are confident that you will be happy with our services.

“ShredPro have provided a reliable and professional shredding service, supplying neat containers that complement the existing office furniture. Monthly collections are carried out by friendly professional staff who collect and destroy all documents on site erasing any concerns we had regarding security. ShredPro provide a very proficient service and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”
Becki Morrow
BBC ALBA Broadcasting Corporation