Confidential At Christmas: Our Top Tips

Christmas can be a busy and stressful time, without the worry of letting your identity falling into the wrong hands. 

Follow our Top Tips for keeping your identity safe this Christmas.

Store confidential documents such as bank statements, payslips, passports and banks cards out of sight in a secure location.

Shred any unwanted documents containing personal data. 

Do not give out personal details such as your bank details over the phone.

Only use websites that are secure. Do not enter payment details if the website does not begin with https.

Do not use the same passwords for all your online accounts.

If allowing guests to use your computer this Christmas, create a separate login for them so they do not have access to your files and email accounts.

Protecting Your Identity

As Christmas approaches, many people shop online to buy gifts, and spend hours decluttering their homes ready for visitors over the festive period. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of Christmas, but are we potentially putting our identity at risk?

At Home

Many families spend the beginning of December preparing their homes for Christmas. Rooms are decluttered to create room for Christmas trees, decorations and cards and it is easy for personal documents such as bank statements to be thrown away accidentally or stored in easily locatable places such as bookcases or drawers.

Any documents with personal details on – name, address, date of birth, National Insurance Number, email address, phone number, or bank details – can be used by criminals to steal your identity. Without your permission or knowledge, new bank accounts could be set up, loans could be taken out and some criminals even use your details to gain employment.

Always ensure confidential documents are stored in an “out of sight” location, and that you know exactly what is stored. It can be tempting to leave paperwork on a bookcase or table, but this leaves your identity vulnerable, particularly if you have visitors during the Christmas holidays. Sadly, more and more cases are occurring where the victim knows the person who committed the identity theft. Storing your documents in a private location can help avoid your details falling into the wrong hands.

If you are disposing of paperwork, ensure that anything with personal details on (even if the details are old/expired) is shredded rather than simply torn into a few pieces and thrown away with general waste.

Online

With more and more people using the internet to buy Christmas gifts, it is important that we protect our online identity also. If shopping online, ensure the websites you are using begin with https (indicating a secure site) and that a padlock symbol appears on your browser (often at the top of the page, but can also be at the bottom). If you are unsure of the site you are browsing on, do not enter your personal details, and shop elsewhere. Keep an eye on your bank statements and report any unusual/unexpected transactions.

If you have a computer in a communal place in your home, check your security settings, particularly if you have guests staying over Christmas. Most of the time, family members or friends using your computer is harmless, but if your email/shopping accounts are always left logged in, other internet users could easily (and accidentally) access personal information or make purchases.

The same applies to games on tablets. Some games (including games aimed at children) offer In App purchases e.g. extra lives or unlocking levels which require payment. These In App purchases are quite quick to agree to (often a simple click of a button if your card details are already logged on the system). If you are allowing someone (especially young children) access to your tablet to play games, ensure the In App purchase option is disabled, or ask them to ask you before agreeing to payment. An unexpected bill in January for In App purchases would not be a great start to 2015!

Protecting your identity will ensure that the only thing you give away this Christmas is presents. 

Confidential Santa Sack

If a stranger opened your family's sack of gifts from Santa, what would they find out about you? Are you a golf enthusiast? Does your wife enjoy cooking? Is your son mad on Batman? Does your daughter love One Direction? 

Often the gifts we receive at Christmas say a lot about us, but what if instead of gifts, a stranger had access to a Santa sack full of our personal data?

Identity Theft is on the increase each year, so what can we do to protect ourselves, our family and our businesses?

At Home And Work

Confidential data can easily be mixed up with general rubbish so it is vital the two are kept separate. Never throw documents that contain personal data e.g. bank statements away with your general rubbish. Confidential files and paperwork should be shredded (not just torn into a few pieces) and disposed of using confidential waste sacks where possible. 

Shred your confidential data.

Shredded confidential waste can be disposed of in these waste sacks.

Keep an eye on bank statements and notify your bank immediately if you spot any unusual transactions. Make sure your confidential documents are stored away out of sight, particularly if you are expecting visitors/hosting parties over the festive period.

Online

When browsing online, if you are asked to enter personal information, check that the website you are using is secure (website address will start with https:// - the “s” signifies the site is secure).

How secure are you online? 

If you use passwords online, ensure you do not use the same password for all your online accounts – social media, email, online shopping accounts etc. Also ensure your passwords are strong and not easily solvable.

Telephone Calls

If you receive cold calls asking you to give personal information do not give them your details. If the caller claims to be someone you know or trust e.g. bank or phone company explain that you will visit the local branch to discuss the issue.  

We hope you have found our advice useful. If you are concerned about protecting your confidential documents, why not visit our website www.cuberms.hk or call us on 29142200. 

Christmas Office Clearout

Now November has arrived, Christmas is just around the corner. In preparation for a new business year, why not take the time to plan a Christmas Office Clearout?

What is a Christmas Office Clearout?

Your Christmas Office Clearout can be small scale or large scale – take a look round your office environment: what would benefit your company?

Decorations: Do you work in an office that puts up Christmas decorations? If so, take them down BEFORE your office closes over the Christmas period. Although decorations look festive and cheerful, they can also be quite depressing to come back to after the excitement of Christmas is over. If you work in an office that doesn’t start back until the New Year, taking the decorations down before the break enables your team to start the new working year with fresh ideas and raring to go, instead of scrabbling around taking down tinsel and trees the moment they come back.  

Clutter: In a busy working environment it is easy to let your desk become a clutter zone. Not only can a cluttered desk create a disorganized working environment, but it also creates the risk of losing documents and files. Check your working environment pre clearout – what areas need to be improved? Does your office need improved storage? Don’t forget to dispose of confidential waste correctly!

Layout: Does your office layout need a revamp? This can be as simple as moving your furniture round! You may find that old and “worn out” furniture needs throwing out and replacing.

Decor: Is your office decor looking a bit “tired”. As business closes over the Christmas period, an empty office is the perfect environment for a bit of office TLC e.g. a fresh coat of paint (or a whole different colour scheme!). 

What better way to start a new year than with a new look office?!

Protecting your documents

Where do you keep your important documents at home? Are they easy to find? Would a stranger be able to find them? What about in your workplace? How secure are your documents and records? What would happen if someone got access to them? What if your data was lost or stolen? 

These are just a few of the questions that are raised when the topic of document security is mentioned. We frequently hear on the news about breaches of security, stolen data and data lost due to fire breaking out in office buildings. 

So what is an alternative?

At Cube Records Management Services, our state of the art secure facility offers maximum protection for your important and confidential records, documents and media.

We provide 24 hour access 7 days a week through an on-line portal, which enables each client to have all the benefits of off-site storage without losing contact with the data when it is required.

Our facilities benefit from some of the most up-to-date technological advancements available, offering maximum protection and optimal storage environments for both paper and digital records.

If you would like to arrange a tour around our document storage facility please contact us by calling 29142200.