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Shred-it Study Finds Seemingly Innocent Workplace Mistakes Put North American Businesses at Risk for Data BreachesNew report finds 71 percent of managers have seen confidential documents left on the printer, 77 percent have accidentally sent an email containing sensitive information to the wrong person BANNOCKBURN, IL, Sept. 30, 2019 /CNW/ - Two thirds (68%) of businesses reported their organization has experienced at least one data breach in the past 12 months, and nearly three in four (69%) of those data breaches involved the loss or theft of paper documents or electronic devices containing sensitive information. That is according to a new report from Shred-it "The Security of Confidential Documents in the Workplace," conducted by the Ponemon Institute, which reveals the discrepancy in priority between cybersecurity and physical security, and the mistakes employees and managers make that may be contributing to a rise in data breaches. According to the report, typical workplace occurrences may be at the root of the problem as 65% of managers are concerned their employees or contractors have printed and left behind a document that could lead to a data breach. Those fears have been confirmed as seven in 10 (71%) managers have seen or picked up confidential documents left in the printer. This seemingly innocent workplace mistake isn't the only thing threatening information security, over three in four (77%) managers admit they have accidentally sent an email containing sensitive information to the wrong person. What's more, nearly nine in 10 (88%) have received an email containing sensitive information from someone within or outside of their organization they were not intended to receive. "The report reveals two key factors about information security in North American businesses– employee negligence, intentional or not, can be a leading contributor to data breaches and that businesses should equally consider the needs for cybersecurity and physical information security within their organization," said Ann Nickola, Senior Vice President, Stericycle, the provider of Shred-it information security solutions. "Although cybersecurity is no doubt an important element of protection, businesses should look to strike a balance between investing in physical security and cybersecurity, as well as integrating better communication with employees on risk factors, to best arm themselves against potential breaches" When exploring physical security versus cybersecurity, the report found that less than two in five (39%) managers believe the protection of paper documents is just as important as the protection of electronic records. This may be why more than half (51%) of managers say their organization does not have a process for disposing of paper documents containing sensitive information. Additional findings from the report include:
Employees May Be Gaining Access to Sensitive or Confidential Information
Managers Are Also Guilty of Neglecting Sensitive and Confidential Information
About The Security of Confidential Documents in the Workplace Report: About Shred-it View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shred-it-study-finds-seemingly-innocent-workplace-mistakes-put-north-american-businesses-at-risk-for-data-breaches-300927646.html SOURCE Shred-it |