A “Clean Desk Policy”: It’s About Security
Many businesses, especially those dealing with sensitive, confidential, or financial information, are implementing clean desk policies. A Clean Desk Policy requires all employees to clear their desks at the end of each work day.
What Is a Clean Desk Policy?
Yes, a clean desk policy makes the office look neat and tidy, but there’s a much more important reason for enforcing it: it’s a crucial step in protecting your organization from fraud, security breaches, and information theft. It’s a simple and effective way to make sure sensitive information is not left unattended and accessible to prying eyes. A Clean Desk Policy protects your organization and helps your employees stay compliant with privacy and security regulations.
Benefits of a Clean Desk Policy
The benefits of a Clean Desk Policy are numerous:
- to protect your company and your clients
- employees become more aware of the risks of information theft
- office space is better organized and conducive to productivity
- to provide peace of mind for your customers
- to protect your company’s reputation
Implementation has a few basic steps:
- whenever an employee leaves his desk, all sensitive information (even post-its with passwords) should be removed from the desktop
- computers should be set with a password-protected screen saver
- at the end of the day, all information (notes, documents, thumb drives, etc.) should be removed from the desktop and computers should be completely shut down
- when not in use, sensitive documents should be kept in locked cabinets
when no longer needed, sensitive information should be shredded or placed in locked bins for secure shredding - upper management should follow the same guidelines as the rest of the staff
- the policy should be in writing and should be clearly communicated to employees
- random office checks should be conducted to check for compliance
- reward Clean Desk employees and establish a plan for employees who repeatedly do not comply
A Clean Desk Policy is a straightforward strategy for reducing the risk of security breaches and information theft. Protecting your company doesn’t end there, however. Secure document shredding with a licensed shredding company continues to protect your company until all sensitive information has been completely destroyed. Federal Records Management and Shredding in Fort Wayne helps your business manage its information and stay compliant with their wide-range of information services, including offsite records storage, and secure document and hard drive destruction.
Contact us today at (260) 267-9652to learn how we can help you protect your clients, your business, and your reputation.