Vertical Markets

Secure data destruction survey

by Mark Rowe

A new piece of research has been launched by the UK security industry trade body the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), aimed at assessing public sector buying behaviour when seeking secure data destruction services.

After a number of high-profile data breaches within NHS Trusts and local authorities, secure data destruction is now a top priority across the public sector, the Worcester-based associations says. Organisations operating within the public sector have been particularly prone to poor data management, the BSIA points out, with many incurring fines of up to £500,000 from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a result.

With previous research highlighting a worrying lack of awareness regarding British Standards and legal obligations, the BSIA is launching a new campaign to educate those responsible for procuring information destruction services.

An initial research piece is aimed at organisations in the public sector, to gauge their understanding of the various standards in the market, and to gain an overview of current procurement practices and specifications. Open to organisations of all types – mainly including those within the healthcare, education and local authority sectors – the research takes the format of an online survey and can be accessed via: http://svy.mk/1ExAJQu

Adam Chandler, Chairman of the BSIA’s dedicated Information Destruction section, says: “While it’s not just public sector organisations that are prone to data breaches – the average data breach costs private sector firms around £1.9m annually – the sensitive nature of the data held by public sector organisations can expose them to greater reputational and financial risk.

“An overarching theme identified by the BSIA’s previous projects is a general lack of understanding when it comes to the standards that should be specified of a professional information destruction supplier. This often leads to organisations specifying unnecessarily stringent requirements with regards to factors such as shred size, transport and destruction processes.”

The BSIA’s Information Destruction Section is aiming to overcome this issue and further highlight the benefits of various standards – including EN15713 – by launching an educational campaign targeted at end-users within the public sector who are considering procuring information destruction services.

To complete the BSIA’s survey visit: http://svy.mk/1ExAJQu. All responses are anonymous.

For more information about EN15713 and procuring a professional information destruction company, visit www.bsia.co.uk/information-destruction.

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