Tuesday, October 23, 2018

5 Ways to reduce the risk of data violations in the Office


Introduction

Your business data can be a risk in the most amazing places, even in office scanners that look harmless. Here's how to keep data safe.

After talking to several colleagues, I have heard that the big date is having a remarkable change in the modern workforce. It is especially influential in the office environment. Office workplaces use big data for everything from payroll management to productivity monitoring and simplifying customer service.

Business World has provided a full article on the benefits of Big Data. They cited the survey that companies using big data are between 5 and 6 percent more productive than competitors who depend on intuition.

However, advances in the big data have a cost. One of the drawbacks associated with it is the increased risk of data breaches. If the data is compromised, many problems can arise, including:

• Confidential employee data can be filtered

• Company secrets may be exposed to competitors.

• The apparently compromised material can trigger costly audits regardless of merit
Companies that want to minimize the big-time risks should be prepared for these security risks. Fortunately, there are several ways in which this can be done, including the use of office scanners with more caution.

Minimizing the risks of data breaches in the office

Are you looking for ways to improve the security of your data? Are your data security policies in line with industry best practices?
In this digital age, it is imperative that individuals and companies take the necessary steps to ensure that all confidential data is safe. While it is well known that leaving sensitive data on hard drives, removable disks, and tape media compromises data security, most people are not aware of the unlikely threat posed by the ordinary office scanner.

Like photocopiers, modern scanners have hard drives that contain digital images of all documents that have been scanned. This exposes all confidential and confidential information, such as social security numbers and medical records. These items run the risk of falling into the wrong hands.

This risk increases, especially when the scanner disk is not protected by encryption or by an overlay mechanism at the time of deletion. In hospitals, much data and information are digitized to be stored in digital form. And with scanners at the forefront of a new security gap, the security of these data is fast becoming the most important aspect of HIPAA law.

Scanned data and the HIPAA security rule

HIPAA privacy regulations require providers and health organizations as well as business associates to develop and follow procedures that ensure the confidentiality and security of protected health information (PHI). The Rule establishes limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without the consent of the patient.

If the patient feels that the privacy of personal information is not being respected, they have the right to file a complaint. This should only make HIPAA compliance a top priority in hospitals and health centres. According to the Ponemon Institute's Sixth Annual Reference Data on Health and Safety Data Security, more than half of all data breaches in the healthcare industry are due to third-party oversights and stolen devices.
All covered entities are required to comply with HIPAA's security and privacy rule and failure to comply can make them liable for complaints and redress.

Now the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the country's consumer protection agency, requires organizations to update their information security plans, including digital copiers and document scanners used by the company.

How can I improve the security of my scanner?

Today, digital copiers are designed to copy, print, and scan documents. To manage the heavy workload and increase production speed, the scanned information is stored on the scanner's hard disk. This stored data is recoverable and opens up a new unlikely gap for data theft. Fortunately, there are several effective options that can help you protect your scanned data.

Frequently clean data on hard drives

You should format the scanner memory regularly and not just when you are looking to sell or rent the devices. When you decide it's time to get rid of your scanner, make sure your data security policy covers the latest trends in data security. Many of them endorse a number of methods to completely erase the data.

Encryption

Encryption is the blending of data through a secret code that only a particular software can read. Some digital scanners and copiers come with this feature. When hard disks are fully encrypted, data is protected even when the hard disk is removed from the machine.

Overwriting

Also known as zero formats, it changes the data on disk by writing new characters to existing data. Overwriting makes it difficult to track and rebuild edited files. It is different from normal deletion and formatting procedures. In fact, the deletion does not actually remove the data from the hard disk, but it does change the way the data is accessed. With the right resources, deleted data can be recovered.

Data Cleansing and Media Degaussing

To avoid data breaches in medical organizations, data deletion and degaussing of media are preferred methods of disposal. This can be achieved by destroying the data contained in the electronic equipment at the end of its useful life. The same applies when returning the equipment to the seller or selling it. Once you take advantage of the above techniques and establish an appropriate ITAD process, you can easily meet the HIPAA standards.

How to discard scanners and photocopiers

The absolute destruction of data provided by a certified electronics recycling vendor and an IT asset disposal provider is the ideal solution to ensure that all hard drives in the scanners are completely destroyed and disinfected. This will help ensure that HIPAA compliance effectively minimizes the risk of facing civil and criminal penalties.

Similarly, for all other electronic devices, scanners pose a threat to data security when they are discarded incorrectly. These devices contain all kinds of information, from employee numbers to customer IDs. Once this information is accessed, it can leave you and your customers open to fraud and identity theft incidents.

As technology continues to evolve and make its mark in different industries, especially in the healthcare industry, compliance with the HIPAA Safety Rule becomes more important than ever. That means employing quality data destruction services in your organization to ensure that your digital copiers are thoroughly cleaned before you sell, lease or dispose of them is a must, not a gentleness, in the 21st century.

Reduce the risks of data breaches in your office

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