New research shows that digital risks are not the only ones that need considering when it comes to data protection.

An independent survey launched by eCopy, Inc., has found that the vast majority of organizations are still photocopying documents containing sensitive data, increasing the risk of lost information and identity fraud. The survey, ‘Effective data protection – reality and risks’, was carried out online and questioned senior executives, operational and administrative staff from the public, private and voluntary sectors. It was designed to establish how organizations manage their data, including its reproduction, storage and disposal. The research found that seven in ten organizations frequently make paper copies of original documentation, with 15 percent doing so as a matter of course. Nearly one in five (18 percent) frequently make a paper copy – that is then used to make an electronic copy. Many respondents said they make paper copies of documents that contain personal and sensitive information, including letters/correspondence (50 percent), financial (47 percent), identification (34 percent) and legal (30 percent) documents. In terms of paper document disposal, nearly seven in ten organizations (67 percent) recognize the need to shred documents that are no longer required, but one quarter (25 percent) are failing to securely dispose of documents. An alarming 22 percent recycle them without shredding, leaving sensitive and personal data freely accessible to fraudsters – while 3 percent just throw paper copies into the bin. Sales director for UK and Ireland, Simon Hill, comments, “The research highlights a need for improved organizational procedures to govern copying of sensitive documentation, its storage and disposal after use. Document management and document imaging solutions provide secure document capture, storage and disposal practices which help to protect against online fraud and ID theft. “The best solution to capture and protect sensitive data is to introduce it into a secure electronic work flow directly from the input device, either a scanner or an MFP, from where the user can protect and control who gets to view, edit or print the scanned document. In this way organizations can minimize potential failures in following business processes by enabling ‘intelligent document routing’.”

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