Case Studies

Privacy filters for GI’s IT

by Mark Rowe

A case study of how a direct mailing and marketing firm, GI Solutions Group, sought to protect its client data from potentially unauthorised viewing by staff, visitors and the public, in the office and on the road.

To address this, the company chose 3M Privacy Filters to handle the risk of potential security breaches caused by ‘shoulder-surfing’ – and to help comply with ISO27001, the international standard for information security management.

GI Solutions Group mainly offers printing marketing and transactional mail for household names. From its Leicester head office, the company prints millions of documents in-house. It also provides other specialist services such as database analysis for clients to better target customers. Hence GI Solutions Group holds customer data, such as addresses, DOBs and account information.

Pictured is Jas Kalsi, Helpdesk Manager at GI Solutions Group. He says: “We are stringent on security and are ISO27001 certified, as well as rigorously adhering to the Data Protection Act 1998 “ .

GI views ISO27001 certification as a big tick in the box, something that it first looked at in 2005 and achieved compliance two years later. The company is audited twice a year, a process using external auditors. Jas says: “While some companies dread them, these audits reinforce how GI Solutions Group is working within the regulations.”

IT security measures include encryption of any data, as well as any content on devices, servers and laptops. Security also includes: CCTV; door entry systems with anti-passback (so they know who is where); secure third-party disposal of unwanted printed data; and digital data (such as old hard drives) is shredded, with relevant certificates.

Physical data privacy
While the stored data is clearly secure, the company wanted to take things a step further and look to physically secure the data at the point the user accesses it, to protect against so-called ‘shoulder surfing’. As visitors and staff use the adjacent walkway when passing the call centre, the company wanted to ensure that screens could not be overlooked: not that this had been a problem. The company was simply taking a preventative approach.

GI Insight Managing Director, Andy Wood – who is also in charge of Data Protection – heard about Privacy Filters from 3M. Jas says: “We’ve never had any issues with physical privacy, but we prefer to adopt a ‘better safe than sorry’ policy. Privacy Filters literally mean that it is very difficult for people to overlook the content on someone’s screen.”

Also, use of privacy filters strengthens the company’s compliance with the visual security element of the ISO27001 standard. Jas finds that this type of screen protection is good to show auditors and also clients to prove how keen they are on protecting data, both in the building and for mobile working.

Out of a total of 239 employees, around 70 are using laptops, mainly in sales and IT. Every laptop is now fitted with a privacy filter to give peace of mind that all company data is physically protected. Any new laptop is ‘filtered’ before it goes out.

Feedback from colleagues has been positive, especially since the privacy filters do not affect their way of working. One feature they rate is the ability to slide the filter off if they choose – without damaging it – which is ideal for training, or for screen sharing with colleagues and then simply re-fit afterwards.

GI Solutions report that a good experience with 3M Account Manager Peter Hartley and, then, through an approved 3M reseller. Purchase and fitting went smoothly. “We’ve not needed to use their technical support service, as the filters are so easy to fit,” says Jas. Having ordered the filters in May 2014, delivery was within just a few days and all units were deployed swiftly afterwards.

Overall, the privacy filters are regarded at GI as good practice that reduces the risk of any data leakages, and gives peace of mind for IT and company directors alike.

“We take a belt and braces security approach, and as part of that, 3M Privacy Filters do exactly what they are supposed to,” adds Jas.

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