POSRG Raises Awareness About Safeguarding Consumer Data

POSRG, a certified data destruction company located in the Chicagoland area, today announced its commitment to Data Privacy Day by registering as a Champion for the campaign. As a Champion, POSRG recognizes and supports the principle that all organizations share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information.

Data Privacy Day is a global effort -- taking place annually on January 28th -- that generates awareness about the importance of privacy, highlights easy ways to protect personal information and reminds organizations that privacy is good for business. This year, we are encouraging individuals to “Own Your Privacy” by learning more about how to protect the valuable data that is online, and encouraging businesses to “Respect Privacy”, which advocates for holding organizations responsible for keeping individuals’ personal information safe from unauthorized access and ensuring fair, relevant and legitimate data collection and processing.

Matt Polich, Vice President of Asset Disposition at POSRG, points out what businesses should look for when choosing a partner for data destruction. "Shredding, degaussing and physically destroying devices with a NAID AAA certified company ensures information retrieval is impossible. We offer on-site, proper disposals of company hardware utilizing Department of Defense standards and eco-friendly practices. Upon completion, our customers receive a Certificate of Destruction, audit spreadsheet and data erasure verification. To learn more about our operation or to obtain a data destruction quote, visit us online."

Polich also provides tips for providing a solid chain of custody for used IT assets. "Record the serial numbers of all assets subject to your corporate policy for asset disposition and keep those on file for 7 years. Be sure to choose an ITAD partner that is certified to destroy data securely and is certified to recycle E-waste responsibly - NAID AAA certification provides assurance that all data will be destroyed securely and the R2 and E-Stewards certifications provide assurance that all material will be recycled responsibly and all data will be destroyed securely. Obtain a Certificate of Data Destruction and Recycling with a serialized list of assets received detailing the make, model, serial number, and corresponding serial number of the data devices contained within the asset and also keep that on file for 7 years. Cross-reference your serial number record with the record provided by your ITAD partner. Report and resolve any discrepancies. By following these simple best practices for ITAD, you are limiting your liability. Without serialized lists of assets sent and received, auditors and investigators could determine that your business is still held liable in the event of a data breach or illegal dumping of E-waste."

According to a Pew Research Center study, 79% of U.S. adults report being concerned about the way their data is being used by companies. As technology evolves and the pandemic continues to influence how consumers interact with businesses online, data collection practices are becoming increasingly unavoidable, making it imperative that companies act responsibly.

“In recent years, we’ve seen the impact of more global awareness surrounding the abuse of consumer data, thanks to sweeping privacy measures like GDPR and CPRA,” said Kelvin Coleman, Executive Director, NCSA. “And while legislative backing is key to reinforcing accountability for poor data privacy practices, one major goal of Data Privacy Day is to build awareness among businesses about the benefits of an ethical approach to data privacy measures separate from legal boundaries.”

The National Cyber Security Alliance has offered up the following tips to help guide individuals and businesses to better data privacy practices, such as:

● For Individuals:

○ Personal info is like money: Value it. Protect it. Personal information, such as your purchase history, IP address, or location, has tremendous value to businesses – just like money. Make informed decisions about whether or not to share your data with certain businesses by considering the amount of personal information they are asking for, and weighing it against the benefits you may receive in return.

○ Keep tabs on your apps. Many apps ask for access to personal information, such as your geographic location, contacts list and photo album, before you can use their services. Be thoughtful about who gets that information, and wary of apps that require access to information that is not required or relevant for the services they are offering. Delete unused apps on your internet-connect devices and keep others secure by performing updates.

○ Manage your privacy settings. Check the privacy and security settings on web services and apps and set them to your comfort level for information sharing. Each device, application or browser you use will have different features to limit how and with whom you share information. Get started with NCSA’s Manage Your Privacy Settings page.

● For Businesses:

○ If you collect it, protect it. Data breaches can not only lead to great financial loss, but a loss in reputation and customer trust. Follow reasonable security measures to keep individuals’ personal information safe from inappropriate and unauthorized access. Make sure the personal data you collect is processed in a fair manner and only collected for relevant and legitimate purposes.

○ Consider adopting a privacy framework. Build privacy into your business by researching and adopting a privacy framework to help you manage risk and create a culture of privacy in your organization.

○ Conduct an assessment of your data collection practices. Understand which privacy laws and regulations apply to your business. Educate your employees of their and your organization’s obligations to protecting personal information.

○ Transparency builds trust. Be open and honest about how you collect, use and share consumers’ personal information. Think about how the consumer may expect their data to be used and design settings to protect their information by default. Communicate clearly and concisely to the public what privacy means to your organization and the steps you take to achieve and maintain privacy.

○ Maintain oversight of partners and vendors. If someone provides services on your behalf, you are also responsible for how they collect and use your consumers’ personal information.

For more information about Data Privacy Day 2021 and how to get involved, visit https://staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/.