Today is international data privacy day

On the eve of international data privacy day, the National Association for Information Destruction, Australia and New Zealand (NAIDANZ) has asked companies and individuals to reflect on whether they are sure their sensitive discarded information is being disposed of securely.

Data theft has rapidly become one of the world’s most prevalent crimes with billions of dollars being lost each year through credit card fraud, identity theft and scams.

In this new environment, people and organisations must be aware of the threat of personal information leaking out once discarded, according to NAIDANZ Chairman Paul Hurst.

“People and organisations need to be as security conscious in the destruction of documents and records as they are in protecting them on their premises,” he said.

“Recent updates to the Australian Privacy Act have helped to highlight the legal implications and privacy responsibilities that companies and individuals have regarding the handling of sensitive information.”

With International Data Privacy Day 2016 being held tomorrow, Hurst said now is a good time to take stock of the measures and processes individuals and companies have in place to ensure secure information destruction.

Questions that should be asked include who looks after data destruction in an individual’s workplace and whether they understand the inherent security risks of the mismanagement of secure information disposal.

NAID is the only globally recognised international non-profit trade association for the secure information destruction industry. The Australia and New Zealand chapter represents a number of the largest document destruction companies in the two markets.

Image courtesy of Sh4rp_i under CC