Minimising risks and holding data securely

There are several ways to minimise risks to data. These include such things as clear desk policies and making sure that information that contains personal data is locked away securely and made available to other employees only when it is necessary for the purpose of the processing.

You should always lock your computer when you leave your workstation for any amount of time and contact your IT department if you are suspicious of any emails you receive. If a Ransomeware or malware attack is successful, it can result in the destruction or illegal use of personal data held on your companies systems.

Always make sure that data is destroyed in line with your company policy.

Make sure that laptops, tablets or phones used for business are kept safe and have adequate security protocols in place. These devices should never be left unattended.

Never share passwords with other members of staff and never write passwords down where they could be discovered and used by else.

Considerations regarding email use may include: limiting the forwarding of emails, making sure that the email you are forwarding does not include any personal data that is not relevant and should not be shared, checking to make sure that the correct recipient has been selected and that there is no sensitive data included that should be provided via a more secure method.

When processing personal data, emailing or using IT equipment, make sure you always follow the policies set by your employer, treat personal data with respect and consider how you would want your own data to be protected.

All organisations have to ensure that they have policies in place to ensure that data is destroyed securely, either by using a suitable cross shredder or certified shredding service for documents that are no longer required.