REMINDER: It’s Time to Review Your Retention Policy!
Year-end or the start of a new year is a great time to take care of many of your businesses’ house-keeping and planning tasks. As a part of that process, be sure to review and update your records retention and information management policies.
If you’re starting from scratch with a new plan, we have some great resources on Information Management Basics, Developing a Records Management Policy, Compliance Tips and Employee Education to help you get started.
If you have a plan or policy in place, here are some specifics you’ll want to make sure to update as you head into the new year.
COMPLIANCE AND REGULATION UPDATES:
It’s important to regularly check-in for industry-specific updates on compliance, retention requirements, and data security. As these laws continue to evolve, your internal policies should adjust accordingly.
As remote work becomes more common, be sure to update your compliance policies to reflect where and how your employees and staff access information outside of the office and on portable devices.
NEW SECURITY RISKS:
Follow the headlines or Information Security Blogs and social channels for updates on new security risks that can put your business clients’ information at risk. Assess how these new risks might impact your business and what you can do to protect your information internally.
Common risks to stay informed about include
- Email Phishing Scams
- Ransomware
- Social Engineering
- DDoS attacks
- Malware
- Traffic Interception
- Password Theft
You can view additional threats and details about each type here.
EMPLOYEE EDUCATION:
Make plans for regular employee education about
- new risks and security threats
- the importance of information security
- best practices and internal policies
As more employees are working from home, it is important to continue to emphasize the importance of information security, especially while out of the office. Here are some things to consider:
- Secure network and Wi-Fi connections
- Updating Passwords every 30 days
- Secure handling of hard copy documents printed at home
- At-home document destruction policies
Whether you do this in the form of regular meetings or Zoom calls, updates, or Memos, it’s important to keep education on information security top of mind!
The beginning of the year is also a great time to review your account authorization to see if personnel changes have been made. Call us today to review and update your information.
DATA BREACH RESPONSE PLAN:
As potential risks continue to evolve, be sure that you update your Data Breach Response plan accordingly. Knowing who is responsible for various tasks in the event of a Data Breach is key to managing the situation effectively.
As you’re reviewing your policies, make sure to identify any team members who will be a part of your response plan and educate them on expectations throughout the process.
RETENTION SCHEDULE:
Review your current retention schedule and destruction policies. Make sure you schedule any annual purge shredding for year-end. If you have on-going shredding needs, consider implementing regular secure shredding services, or updating your current secure shredding service schedule to match your needs, based on the last 6 months of use.
REVIEW YOUR RECORD STORAGE AREAS:
Finally, be sure to review your record storage areas to ensure they are still in compliance with the rules and regulations for your specific industry, purge any items no longer needed, and plan for any additional storage space you may need for the new year.
As you work your way through your records management policy updates, remember that Augusta Data Storage is your Augusta area provider for secure shredding, large-scale purge projects, records storage, document imaging, and more! Contact us today for more information on any of our services.
RESOURCES 101:
Not sure where to start? Here are some additional resources:
The Changing Landscape of Information Management
The Benefits of Records Management Services
Why an Effective Records Retention Policy is Crucial for your Business