Spectrum Magazine 2021 Q1

spectrum THE VOICE OF THE

PROFESSIONAL SECURITY INDUSTRY

SPRING 2021

AN INDUSTRY LANDMARK ECHO comes of age with first connection confirmed

WHICH ONE WILL YOU WIN?

SECURE HOMEWORKING

How the British Security Awards is celebrating security excellence | 23

How to make sure you keep your paper data safe | 20

DIGTIALLY AWARE Meet the new cybersecurity kid on the block |17

THE MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH SECURITY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

4. Foreword with Mike Reddington

5. Industry briefing

8. Carbon Net Zero: SecuriGroup

10. Every second counts: new milestone for ECHO

14. COVID secure access control with Tensor

17. Digitally aware: the new kid on the cybersecurity block

20.

Tips for secure homeworking: Shred Station

23. Which one will you win? British Security Awards 2021

25. CBW: budget analysis

29. Employee wellbeing: advice from Citation

31. IFSEC Global Top 5 most read in 2021

32. Recycling for a good cause: Concept Management

34. Printing at home - the dangers

Spectrum is produced in-house by the British Security Industry Association.

Andrew Cooper Katherine Ingram Design: BSIA Communications Editor:

Assistant Editor:

Contributors: James Moore, IFSEC Global | Emily Bridges, Shred Station | Michelle Kradolfer, Police Digital Security Centre | Michaela Lamb, CBW | Citation | Datashred Restore | Mark Taylor, Electronic Call Handling Operations | Mark Wilding, Concept Management

British Security Industry Association Anbrian House, 1 The Tything, Worcester, WR1 1HD Press Office: 32 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4HE

spectrum

Spring 2021

A new year with challenges like no other is now in full swing and the Association is fully primed to tackle both the issues of the day, whilst moving forward proactively and positively on behalf of its members and the wider industry.

We remain fully attuned to the issues affecting our members; addressing restrictions during COVID-19, with conversations with Ministers on clarification of our sector being included in the second wave of vaccinations for key workers, to attending top-level post-Transition meetings and setting up our own Brexit special interest group to address the concerns of our members.

C H I E F

E X E C U T I V E ' S

F O R E W O R D

At the beginning of the year, our Video Surveillance Systems section was proud to launch Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) – a guide to ethical and legal use, the first guide of its kind, following recommendations on responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The guide has a specific focus on distinctive application types of verification and both industry experts and the general public should be able to understand the framework as it is aimed at all levels, whilst matching key messaging with that of the UK Government’s Biometrics & Surveillance Camera Commissioner.

Skills for Security, our wholly-owned subsidiary, continues growth at pace and recently entered into partnership with Securitas, giving priority access to a set of newly developed security system design courses. Skills for Security has also started induction of its pilot Team Leader & Supervisor Apprenticeship programme with Corps Security.

Our awards scheme is also well underway, now into its fourth year as the rebranded British Security Awards, which is now fully embedded as one of the leading awards on the industry circuit. As well as recognising our members regionally with the security personnel awards, we will also be awarding our members with national categories, from Innovative Security Project to the recently added Environmental Project of the Year. We plan to hold the event on 30 June and a decision to hold it either live at the London Marriot Grosvenor Square or online, based on the COVID-19 lifting of restrictions will be made in late Spring.

I hope that by the time we produce our summer Spectrum magazine, the lockdown will have eased as scheduled and that the Association’s team are able to meet once again with its members and engage in the industry as we start to return to some sense of normality post-COVID-19.

Mike Reddington Chief Executive British Security Industry Association

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Industry

briefing

The BSIA has released a new guide on automated facial recognition that discusses the legal and ethical usage of the technology.

Automated Facial Recognition - a guide to ethical and legal use, has been produced by the BSIA's video surveillance systems section and forms part of the Association's Artificial Intelligence (AI) series of publications.

The guidance provides advice and recommendations on the ethical and legal use of Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) technology for the beneficial use in both public and private sector environments to ensure it does not cause harm or discriminate against persons.

It takes into account current known legislation, standards and guidance around AI and in particular AFR and is intended to be useful to system designers, installers/integrators and end-users. The guidance provides advice and recommendations on the ethical and legal use of Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) technology for the beneficial use in both public and private sector environments to ensure it does not cause harm or discriminate against persons.

Dave Wilkinson, Director of Technical Services at the BSIA, who is leading the BSIA’s AFR working group said: “This collaborative piece of work among industry experts has produced a guide with advice and recommendations on ethical and legal AFR usage, which will appeal to anyone in or out of the physical security industry."

Automated Facial Recognition - a guide to ethical and legal use can be downloaded from the BSIA website.

Employees of Securitas UK’s Electronic Security (ES) and Security Solutions divisions have been given priority access to a set of newly developed security system design courses, thanks to a partnership with leading security training provider Skills for Security.

Delivered through a customised virtual training portal, Securitas employees of all levels of experience are enhancing their knowledge of the latest British and European Standards for the design of electronic security systems, including video surveillance, intruder detection, fire detection and access control.

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| Spring 2021

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Industry

briefing

IFSEC International, the largest gathering of security professionals exhibition, has confirmed that is has been given the green light to go ahead between 12–14 July 2021 at the ExCeL, London. The three day event will be run in line with the industry recognised and government approved AllSecure standard to ensure attendee safety.

In addition, throughout June, IFSEC International will be holding its online Connect 2021, a brand-new digital initiative bringing leading security solution providers and buyers together. Building further on a successful portfolio of in-person and online security events, Connect 2021 offers security suppliers a unique opportunity to reach a wider audience of international security professionals throughout the month.

Find out how you can be involved by visiting the Connect 2021 exhibition brochure.

The Home Secretary has appointed Fraser Sampson as the UK’s new independent Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner.

Fraser Sampson previously held separate roles of Biometrics Commissioner and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, which were established in 2012 by the Protection of Freedoms Act, which have now been combined into one full time post. Mr Sampson, who took up the post from 1 March, will promote compliance with the Surveillance Camera Code and rules on police use of DNA and fingerprints.

Director of Technical Services at the BSIA, Dave Wilkinson, said: "Congratulations to Fraser Sampson on his appointment as the Biometrics & Surveillance Camera Commissioner, we look forward to working with you in your new role. We had the great pleasure of working with Fraser's predecessor Tony Porter QPM LLB developing the SCC strategy, associated guidance documents and more recently he provided commentary on our Ethical and Legal guidance on AFR ."

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Industry

briefing

HUNDREDS of people in Aston Fields have another line of defence against crime after receiving SmartWater kits.

County councillor Kyle Daisley, who handed out the free kits, said he has delivered on his election pledge of making sure residents ‘feel safe’.

With the help of West Mercia Police, the 23-year-old has delivered kits to 850 homes. Police say SmartWater continues to be effective in tackling residential and business thefts.

ECHO has announced Essex Police and the Metropolitan Police have jointly issued notice that their registered Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) will be ECHO-connected by 1 October 2021.

Following recent successful end-to-end testing of ECHO’s new automated alarm signalling transmission service, these two police forces are now accepting Intruder Alarm System (IAS) and Hold-Up Alarm (HUA) activation alerts directly into their police control rooms, without the need for manual call handling.

The BSIA would like to pay tribute to our Export Council Vice-Chairman, Kevin Coulson, who sadly passed away at the beginning of 2021.

Kevin, who was Director of Sales EMEA at Elmdene International Ltd, was a wellrespected and popular member of our industry, a larger than life character devoted to his chosen profession and a stalwart supporter of our Export Council, playing an important role working alongside our Export Council Chairman Carl Gibbard and BSIA Director Security & Export, John MacAskill.

Kevin will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by the Association. Rest in peace.

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| Spring 2021

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Industry

briefing

The BSIA is pleased to announce the regional winners of the security personnel categories of the British Security Awards.

After a record year for entries, we awarded over 50 officers and teams from across the UK, and congratulations go to the the security officers and security teams from the following: MAN Commercial Protection, SecuriGroup, Mitie, Cordant Security, Securitas UK, Westgrove Group, Fenix Monitoring, OCS Group UK, CDX Security, Sentinel Group Security, G4S and Andron Facilities Management.

Regional winners will now go forward to the national stage as finalists at the British Security Awards on 30 June.

To find out who won, visit the British Security Awards website.

The BSIA's Information Destruction section will be launching the UK’s first National Shred Day to take place on Saturday 8 October nationwide.

A similar scheme has been run in the US for a few years now and we anticipate our version will match its success. The event will take place across the country in October and will involve our Information Destruction members offering their services on designated sites, inviting small businesses to bring along their confidential waste to be disposed of at a nominal fee, with all proceeds going to a suitable charity.

Securitas UK has released its Annual and Sustainability Report 2020, which is now available and can be downloaded at the Securitas website.

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THGISNI SSERP

SECURIGROUP IS CARBON NET-ZERO SecuriGroup’s in-house software development team helps equip their front-line officers with cutting-edge reporting and recording solutions, allowing them to provide an innovative, datadriven approach to their clients across the UK and Ireland.

BY KATHERINE INGRAM

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Spectrum

| Spring 2021

As an organisation ranked in the top 1%

validated Streamlined Carbon Energy

of the Security Industry Authority’s

Reporting (SECR) scheme.

Approved

Contractor

Scheme,

SecuriGroup is focused on continuous improvement and prides itself on setting industry

standards.

SecuriGroup

continues to lead by example in its effort to reduce emissions and protect the environment and is committed to

Understanding a business’ emissions is a vital first step towards reducing them.

SecuriGroup’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions were assessed in accordance with HM Government’s Environmental

measuring and monitoring its carbon

Reporting

Guidelines.

Figures

were

footprint through the externally

calculated for ‘Scope 1’ and ‘Scope 2’

Net-Zero

Carbon

emissions,

which

includes

vehicle

SecuriGroup continues to demonstrate

emissions from company vehicles and

replacement strategy will see its mobile

its longstanding commitment to reduce

building

related

patrol

carbon emissions, having held the

business

took

energy, the

direct

and

the

decision

to

In

addition, fleet

SecuriGroup’s transitioning

to

fully

electric vehicles by 2025.

Environmental

voluntarily include ‘Scope 3’ emissions

Management

accreditation, ISO 14001, for over 10

that lie outside the direct control of the

For those emissions that cannot yet be

company.

reduced, SecuriGroup researched the

years.

carbon offset market and opted to

SecuriGroup

SecuriGroup has led the way in the

make financial contributions to projects

commitment to the environment by

implementation of paperless processes

which support the United Nations

becoming

through the digitisation of systems by

Sustainable Development Goals. These

companies in the world to sign-up to

continuing to invest in the in-house

goals include renewable energy and

The Climate Pledge movement, joining

development

forestry projects, marine preservation,

global corporations such as Amazon,

SecuriGo. Earlier this year, the business

sustaining

Microsoft,

transferred its web and cloud-based

projects that contribute to overall

Mercedes. The Climate Pledge is a

servers to carbon neutral providers.

global development such as female

global

More efficient heating and lighting

education

sanitisation

signatories to take collective action to

systems in its UK and Ireland offices,

projects across the world. All of

work together to meet the Paris

and a focus on recycling office furniture

SecuriGroup’s carbon offset credits are

Agreement 10 years early, and to build

and IT equipment has also contributed

certified

a safe and healthy planet for the next

to a reduction in the organisation’s

Framework Convention on Climate

impact on the environment.

Change.

of

its

mobile

app,

ecosystems

and

by

water

the

and

United

other

Nations

has

one

underlined

of

IBM,

the

first

Coca-Cola

initiative

its 100

and

encouraging

generations.

SecuriGroup Chair, Baroness Ruth Henig CBE, said: “This achievement marks a significant milestone for SecuriGroup. We have committed to actively monitor and reduce our energy emissions,

improve

sustainability

measures, and mitigate our impact on the environment.”

Doing what it can for the environment contributes

to

SecuriGroup’s

core

purpose of ‘Strengthening Society,’ and will remain a key part of its Corporate and Social Responsibility strategy.

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| Spring 2021

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D E T C E N N O C

O H C E

EVERY SECOND COUNTS This year’s announcement of the first ‘ECHO-connected’ police forces marked a milestone in the industry backed Electronic Call Handling Operations (ECHO) initiative designed to facilitate collaboration between blue light services and the private sector, increasing effectiveness of response to emergency alarms.

MARK TAYLOR, ECHO GENERAL MANAGER

Unwanted alarm signals have been exercising police and fire services’ call handling for many years, and in order to tackle this ongoing problem these services have been taking radically different approaches.

Using different forms of technology to fit their requirements, the Police

Fire & Security Association (and more recently the National Security Inspectorate) to develop ECHO, securing funding under a Joint Security and Resilience Centre (JSaRC) scheme from the Home Office to kick off this initiative.

Following introduction of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) policy stating that from April 2020 police services would only accept Intruder and Hold Up alarm signals in a digital format, it was agreed ECHO would deliver end-toend electronic alarm handing ability to reduce call handling times and errors within the alarm receiving centres and emergency services.

adopted a national approach providing a Unique Recognition Number (URN) to systems installed by providers approved by third party certification bodies, whereas the Fire Service have adopted a whole range of approaches, from non-attendance to any call from an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), to full attendance to all such calls.

With talks to combine these systems into one nationally recognised solution and the help of key industry trade bodies, the British Security Industry Association began working closely with the Fire Industry Association and the

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In April 2021 after three years of developing the service and extensive endto-end testing, interrupted by the COVID19 pandemic, Essex Police and the Metropolitan Police jointly issued Notice to their registered Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) to be ECHO-connected by October 2021, marking the launch phase of this industry changing service.

Echo

Connected

Every second counts As an automated service ECHO provides centralised, fully automated electronic alarm transmission on demand between ECHO-connected alarm installations and ECHO-connected blue light services. Funded by the private sector, the ECHO platform offers its automated service to those blue light services ready to accept transmissions. These are expected to multiply this year with many police forces expressing interest in following NPCC requirements for Intruder and Hold Up alarms. Earlier pilot schemes held at the beginning of the year have proved ECHO can deliver time savings in circumstances where every second counts in police response to emergency alarms.

A number of alarm companies and police forces are now able to accept electronic alarm transmissions and are looking to get ECHO-connected in the near future. Alarm installations installed by police recognised approved companies and monitored by approved alarm receiving centres (ARCs)/ monitoring centres will be ECHO connected as and when their police areas become so.

What does this mean to approved installers?

ECHO’s launch will have a huge impact on the response to Intruder and Hold Up alarms, and installers will need to be aware of this as the service progressively rolls out across police forces. ECHO will provide a further means of differentiating themselves and their offering in the market – there is clear benefit to a customer in choosing an ECHO-connected installer as only alarms installed by police recognised approved companies will be issued with a police unique reference number (URN) and monitored 24/7 by an approved ECHOconnected alarm receiving centre (ARC) – enabling customers to receive the highest priority from police force dispatchers. The police estimate ECHO can deliver a time saving of up to 4 minutes in emergencies, where every second counts, which is a vital factor in assuring premises owners and occupiers of the fastest possible police response by ECHO-connected blue light services.

Embedding the service in 2021 and beyond Initially ECHO will apply to Intruder and Hold Up alarms on police response in ECHO-connected police force areas but looking beyond 2021, there is potential opportunity to apply ECHO technology to enhance fire alarm transmission, lone worker and video surveillance services and reduce false alarms in areas with critical infrastructures such as care homes and hospitals and increase security for people and property and cost-effective deployment by the emergency services.

ECHO represents a real opportunity to generate significant savings in emergency response resources, both through fewer errors being made and a potential increase in the effectiveness of the emergency response by all participating services.

Taking the longer view its potential is immense,

with

critical

infrastructure

across all sectors of society, from hospitals to heritage all potentially benefitting from enhanced alarm transmission that offers all services to benefit from reduced false alarms.

Find out more about ECHO and how it works by visiting www.echo.uk.net/about Spectrum

| Spring 2021

13

T N E M E G A N A M

E C R O F K R O W

TENSOR COVID SECURE ACCESS CONTROL AND WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS Tensor Plc are a UK based, award winning, market leader in designing, manufacturing and installing security, access control, attendance monitoring and energy management solutions.

As the UK begins its slow return to normality, many businesses and organisations are relying on staff physically coming back to their respective workplaces. At Tensor, we strongly believe that it is vital to take all precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or other future similar viral threats in the workplace, including implementing automated symptomscreening solutions where possible.

As part of our ongoing commitment to help businesses improve their security and operational efficiency while also ensuring a higher level of hygiene and reducing the risk of infection with COVID-19 within their premises, Tensor has launched the COVID SECURE initiative, which ascertains that relevant products and systems are internally assessed by an expert panel in order to ensure that they help minimize the risk of contamination with COVID-19 in the workplace.

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| Spring 2021

Tensor

Access Control

Products that meet the initiative’s

Tracking the movements of any

Keeping sites secure at all times,

stringent

criteria

infectious person on site and tracing

accurately monitoring visitors and

(contactless, touch-free operation, ease

the people they might have been in

premises and ensuring that only

of use, etc.) can help our customers

contact with via the “Track and Trace”

authorised staff can gain access.

with:

reporting features in our Tensor.NET

Installing a touch-free self-service

comprehensive

software.

visitor management system (SSVM)

contactless access control and time

Installing

and

with

touch-free door entry and exit control

reception staff. Our SSVM app runs on

temperature screening that ensure

systems, including automated door

any iOS/Android touchscreen device

a higher level of hygiene and reduce

opening mechanisms and long-range

and allows for visitor questionnaires to

the risk of infection with COVID-19

access control solutions based on

be filled-in off-site previous to arrival,

and/or other dangerous viruses or

RFID technology.

while on-site registration is conducted

bacteria. To this end, we have

Implementing stringent COVID-19

via contactless QR code scanning.

partnered

with

Suprema

health and safety policies, issuing

Accurately managing and recording

integrated

their

FaceStation

2

alerts when a member of staff has an

staff’s working times, whether in the

Facial Recognition Terminals with

elevated body temperature and/or

office or on site / working from home,

Temperature

preventing them from accessing your

and offering staff the tools they need

site.

to manage their clockings, flexitimes or

assessment

Deploying attendance

systems

Detection

and

camera

into our Tensor.NET platform.

completely

contactless,

and

reducing

interaction

with

holidays wherever they might be. This is achieved via our SSM (Self-Service Module) web-based solution or mobile app.

Spectrum

| Spring 2021

15

Our Installer members are at the heart of shaping and influencing the future of the security industry

What are you

WAITING FOR?

JOIN TODAY membership@bsia.co.uk

THE VOICE OF THE

PROFESSIONAL SECURITY INDUSTRY

ERAWA YLLATIGID

DIGITALLY AWARE: THE NEW CYBERSECURITY KID ON THE BLOCK The BSIA is assisting the Police Digital Security Centre to raise awareness of cyber security to its members.

Here’s the bad news. That was a phishing email disguising itself as your supplier and now you’ve just unknowingly infected your device with a malware. Unfortunately, it gets worse – that malware is quietly spreading across the whole network system and onto any devices it can access, while trying to steal your organisations sensitive business and financial

MICHELLE KRADOLFER, POLICE DIGITAL SECURITY

information. Rough Monday morning indeed.

CENTRE

While that is a scenario I made up on the spot, the reality is that organisations across the UK have been targeted in an eerily similar fashion and have fallen victim to a cyber crime. According to Hiscox’s report, Monday morning. You’ve just logged onto your work computer and that pesky little pop-up notification ‘Software Update Available’ has just appeared again – annoyed, you click on ‘Remind Me Tomorrow’. While sipping away

65,000 cyber security attacks are made on UK SMEs daily, of which 4,500 are successful. Thanks to the current Covid-19 pandemic, cyber crime has increased by 600% and according to the DCMS’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey of 2020, 46% of all SMEs have experienced one cyber attack a week, of which 86% are phishing attacks.

on your morning coffee, you suddenly receive

The good news is that you can reduce your organisation’s risk to a cyber

an urgent email from your materials supplier

breach significantly by implementing simple and easy changes within your

asking you to review the order you recently

organisation, such as introducing a strong password policy or training staff

placed by clicking on the attached document.

how to spot phishing emails. However, in order to understand what cyber

Sensing the urgency from your supplier and

security measures you need, you have to first identify what your

without

organisations cyber risk profile looks like and where your vulnerabilities

thinking

twice,

you

Spectrum

and

lie within your network system.

download it.

17

click

| Spring 2021

Digitally

aware

So you’ll need to ask yourself questions like how many devices does your business have? Do you and your staff use two-factor authentication on all devices? What type of data do you store within your network system and do you back those files up on a physical server or cloud storage? It’s essential for any business to understand their cyber risk profile, but it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start and how to go about it.

Well look no further, because this is exactly what the Police Digital Security Centre’s Digitally Aware certification scheme will do for you. To help businesses start their cyber security journey, PDSC have developed a simple online assessment tool which will help businesses test their resilience to the most common types of cyber crime and will help identify their cyber risk profile. Based on the National Cyber Security Centre’s Small Business Guide, and developed in collaboration with BSI (the British Standards Institution), our new Digitally Aware scheme recognises those businesses who have made the first step towards better cyber security. Upon completion of the assessment, you will receive a set of recommendations based on your answers, which is in accordance to the latest Government and police guidance, to help you improve your cyber security posture. Successful applicants receive a certificate that is valid for 12 months and are able to show to their customers, staff and stakeholders that they take their cyber security seriously.

This certification scheme was designed to show SMEs how

You would have understood the importance of training your

simple it is to implement these measures and how

staff on how to spot a phishing email and that by hovering

important it is to review them on a regular basis to reduce

over the email address you would recognise that it was not

their risk of a cyber breach. If you would have undertaken

your actual supplier emailing you. Or by using strong

the Digitally Aware assessment and looked back at the

passwords (e.g. a passphrase of three random words) on all

scenario I presented earlier, you would have noticed several

your devices and accounts, it could have prevented a cyber

ways how this breach could have been avoided and how the

criminal from accessing your files.

recommendations we provide would have secured your continued overleaf

organisation in that instance.

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18

Digitally

aware

Investing in cyber security has never been more important and whilst businesses believe that they are protected against cyber threats, only 70% of businesses who have undertaken our Digitally Aware certification have passed it. This means that a third of these organisations are not equipped with adequate cyber security measures, leaving them vulnerable to cyber crime and fraud. Additionally, based on the data collected, we were able to highlight some of the gaps that SMEs have in relation to their cyber security posture. We found that only 45% of organisations have given staff cyber security training in the last 12 months and 78% of organisations that failed the assessment on their first attempt, did not enable Two-Factor Authentication on their devices. However, using the resources from our Digitally Aware platform your business can help you understand your cyber risk profile, ensure business continuity, improve your response time and reduce loss or damage in case of a cyber breach.

Digitally Aware is all about ensuring that an organisations builds a strong cyber security foundation from within and encourages good cyber practices throughout the business. For some SMEs, this certificate will be a stepping stone in their cyber security journey, which will lead them to go onto achieving higher levels of cyber certifications, such as Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essential Plus, ISO27001 and Digitally Resilient.

While we highly encourage businesses to continue on their journey, we also recognise that some of those higher level certifications might not be needed or suitable for some SMEs, which is why PDSC developed Digitally Aware. Our goal is to ensure that no business is left behind and everyone, no matter the size or sector they are in, can participate in improving their cyber security posture and become more resilient.

So while Digitally Aware might be the new kid on the cyber certification block, what sets us apart is that we help SMEs build a strong foundation and encourage them to start their cyber security journey. We want to shift the idea that practicing good cyber security is difficult, expensive or should only be done by the IT department. If everyone within the organisation, from the CEO down to the intern, plays their part, you will reduce your risk of becoming a

For more information on the work of the Police Digital Security

victim of a cyber breach in the future.

Centre visit www.policedsc.com/

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GNIKROWEMOH ERUCES

TIPS FOR HOME WORKING – HOW TO MAINTAIN GDPR COMPLIANCE AND DATA SECURITY The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a statement confirming that businesses should still be working with data security in mind meaning they need to ensure GDPR compliance while employees are working from home

Tip 1 – Ensure home workers know their data security obligations

BY EMILY BRIDGES, SHRED STATION

Fortunately, we live in a time where information around data security

Human error is one of the leading causes of data breaches in the workplace. In the ICO’s 2020-2021 Data Security Incident Trends, we can see that human error and paper-based incidents far outweighed cyber-security incidents.

and best practices is extremely easy to find, and relatively simple to understand. One of the best ways your organisation can help to ensure GDPR compliance and data security for home workers is through education. There are many free resources online about GDPR With this latest announcement by the ICO, a

compliance and data security, and all staff members should receive

huge responsibility falls on businesses to ensure

training in these areas.

GDPR compliance while employees are working remotely – and this includes the secure disposal

Make sure your employees know the data protection measures your

of confidential materials. For this reason, it is a

business has in place, what procedures to follow to avoid the risk of a

good idea to have a plan in place for home

data breach, and what to do if they suspect a data breach has occurred.

workers.

If an employee is aware of data breach risks, and how to prevent one, they will be more mindful of personal data. If, on the other hand, an

Here are some useful tips for how your business

employee doesn’t know what personal data means and how it should

can maintain GDPR compliance and data

be handled, your organisation could be setting itself up for failure, the

security with remote teams.

risk of fines, and reputational damage.

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20

Home Working

Data Security

One area to be particularly vigilant on is data sharing. The

Many accredited shredding companies such as Shred

majority of reported data breaches in the ICO’s report were

Station Ltd will happily collect directly from remote

caused by employees sharing information with an incorrect

workers’ residences in a fully compliant and COVID-secure

recipient via post, fax, or email, and also not correctly using

way. Or, for smaller quantities of documents, it could be

BCC when sending mass emails.

worth using a fully-tracked postal shredding service such as Ship2Shred.

Both

of

these

services

will

destroy

Another area for concern is physical data. There were 187

documentation in line with BS EN 15713 standards. All

data breaches reported to the ICO in 2020-2021 caused by

reputable

the theft of devices or paperwork which were not properly

Certificate of Destruction after every collection.

shredding

providers

will

also

provide

a

secured. With physical data, it may be best to implement a “Shred Everything” policy for all confidential materials your

Tip 3 – Make sure your suppliers are accredited and your

home workers no longer need. This could be for paper

home workers are aware of how their data is being used

materials, hard drives, USBs or any other form of physical data. This will avoid the risk of human error or making the

Now more than ever, it’s important to think about the

wrong decision when deciding what documents or materials

bigger picture. Any suppliers you use should also have strict

to shred. Remember, just one single piece of paper is all it

data security measures in place and should be fully

takes for a data breach to occur, so this is extremely

accredited to process personal data. Your employee’s

important to consider.

personal information may need to be shared externally, so make sure that this is understood by any home workers.

Tip 2 – Have a solid data destruction plan in place for home workers

For example, if you need to get a shredding service set up for your remote teams, you will likely need to share your

Failure to prepare a thorough data destruction plan for

employee’s personal information with the shredding

home workers could be a very expensive risk. Even from

company. Your employees should be aware of how their

home, remote employees may still generate large volumes of physical business documents and, once no longer needed, these documents need to be destroyed securely. It is against the law for businesses to dispose of commercial waste in domestic bins. This too is the case for home

data is being used, and, for your own peace of mind, you should enquire with your suppliers about their security measures. Do not be afraid to ask questions or for proof of certification. How will they use your home workers’ data?

workers handling commercial materials from a domestic

Will they destroy it once no longer required? What are the

property.

commercial

procedures they have in place for their own remote

documents for long durations may increase the risk of

workers if these workers will handle your employee’s

paperwork being disposed of incorrectly and risk a data

personal data?

Having

employees

hold

onto

breach. It is better to have a process in place to make sure confidential material is handled safely.

The best way to safeguard the confidential information your home workers process, and make sure your business is complying with the law, is through secure destruction.

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Any reputable company will be able to provide copies of their

accreditation

certificates.

They

will

have

a

comprehensive data retention schedule in place, received regular audits, and will be able to demonstrate their data security procedures if required.

SDRAWA YTIRUCES HSITIRB

WHICH ONE WILL YOU WIN? Now in it's fourth year as the rebranded British Security Awards, the BSIA's flagship event is fast becoming a recognised awards scheme for members and the wider industry.

I took the decision to review and rebrand the current awards scheme, and by giving it the name British Security Awards, and creating new and relevant categories, the scheme would be reinvigorated and feel less like an antiquated old boys club beano, the likes that my grandfather would have attended in the 1960s as a rural parish councillor in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

BY ANDREW COOPER

In 2018, one of my first jobs as the new Head of Communications was to review the existing awards scheme that the Association had been running since 1998. It had been run as the 'Annual Luncheon and Awards' and had incorporated the AGM and a VIP room. Entries had been on a downward turn and the categories limited and not in line with fully representing our members.

Although the regional security personnel categories,

Since the relaunch in 2018, entries have increased by over

sponsored by Camberford Underwriting continued to

50%, and even during the difficult events of 2020, the BSIA

attract great numbers, other categories for security

were inundated with examples of security excellence from

business were either attracting one or on some occasions

across the industry, showcasing each year the levels of

zero entries. A terrible shame when considering the broad

expertise, commitment and professionalism on display from

spectrum of excellence that abounds in our industry.

the frontline to the boardroom.

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been in regular use only weeks before.

However it has been proven that it is

British

Security Awards

It has been an honour for the BSIA to be able to recognise the work of our members and their staff and there have been many great examples over the last four years.

In 2018, we awarded SecuriGroup's Silas Bogyere, who was recognised for his charity work, leading fundraising schemes, raising over £20,000 for various charities.

During the Grenfell Tower disaster, he also worked to provide assistance to the affected community, raising over £1,000 and collecting and dropping off essentials to victims on the same day.

In 2019, one of outstanding winners was G4S's David Rutwaza (pictured centre left), who was recognised not just for one, but three outstanding acts during the course of duty.

These included protecting a PCSO from a hammer assault whilst sustaining serious injury to himself, defending and then delivering first aid to an OAP after a brutal gang attack whilst taking numerous blows in the process and finally for talking down a suicidal girl from a bridge and attending to her until her parents arrived.

In 2020, we awarded Smiths Detection for their quick thinking and being the first in the industry to provide an innovative solution in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. in order to help airports regain passenger and staff confidence, they developed Ultraviolet Light Tray Disinfection, a solution that minimised the risk of transmission.

These are just a few examples of the great work of our members and we look forward to awarding and recognising exemplars once again on 30 June, as we get ready to celebrate security excellence once again.

The British Security Awards is scheduled to take place, subject to government

The British Security Awards are sponsored by

rules, on 30 June at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square

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24

TEGDUB EHT

BUDGET 2021: HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOU PHOTO CREDIT: HOMESANDPROPERTY.CO.UK

• One company has control of the other

PICTURED: CHANCELLOR RISHI SUNAK

• Both companies are under control of the same person or

Every year, CBW provides a full analysis of the Chancellor’s Budget.

We have pulled out the three key areas we believe are likely to be of most relevance to BSIA members and given our analysis on how those changes may affect you. We have also included the highlights from the full budget.

group of persons The 19% rate will not apply to close investment holding companies, so the definition of such companies which was repealed in 2015 will need to be reintroduced. Previously this applied only to companies that invest in shares or in property that is let to connected persons, so most other property investment companies are not close investment holding companies.

Analysis: In the marginal band, the tax will be £9,500

BY MICHAELA LAMB, TAX PARTNER, CBW

1. Corporation Tax Rate Increase The main rate of Corporation Tax is to increase to 25% but not until 1 April 2023. From that date, a new small profits rate of 19% will apply to smaller companies with profits of £50,000 or less. Where a company’s profits fall between £50,000 and £250,000, marginal relief will be available such that the company’s effective tax rate will be between 19% and 25%. The £50,000 and £250,000 figures will be

(£50,000 @ 19%) plus 26.5% of the excess over £50,000. It may be worth looking at the timing of claims for capital allowance,

payments

of

bonuses

or

discretionary

expenditure, if this can take profits out of the 26.5% band.

We do not yet know whether the income tax dividend rate will change in 2023/24 to reflect this increase but it seems unlikely. If a company pays the full 25% corporation tax rate and distributes the whole of its after tax profit as dividend, higher rate shareholders will suffer a reduction in net income of around 7.5%. Currently, from £100 of profit

reduced proportionately for short accounting periods and

the shareholder is left with £54.675 (after £19 corporation

for the number of ‘associated’ companies.

tax and £26.325 dividend tax). From 2023/24 he will be left

Broadly, a company is associated with another company if

with only £50.625 (after £25 corporation tax and £24.375

at that time, or at any time within the preceding 12 months:

dividend tax).

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CBW

Budget Analysis

2. Capital Allowance Super Deduction A new capital allowance on plant and machinery is being introduced for corporation tax purposes only. It will apply only to expenditure on plant and machinery purchased between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023. The amount is 130% of the expenditure in most cases. A reduced rate of 50% will apply to special rate expenditure and of 100% ring-fence activities in the oil and gas industry.

Special rate expenditure is

expenditure on long-life assets, thermal insulation, integral features, solar panels and most cars.

The allowance is not given on expenditure on second-hand items.

Analysis: This is intended to encourage large companies to

Income Tax • Income tax rates will remain as they currently stand at 20%, 40% and 45% (or 7.5%, 32.5% and 38.1% for dividend income) • The tax free annual allowance for income tax purposes will be increased modestly from 6 April 2021 to £12,570 (in line with the September CPI figure), and this will remain

invest in equipment to boost both their own recovery and that

fixed until April 2026. The higher rate threshold will also

of equipment suppliers. Please be aware though that bringing

increase to £50,270 and will also remain fixed for that

forward expenditure to achieve this special tax relief at 19%

period.

may increase profits in the following tax years when the new

• This will provide an annual tax saving of up to £40 for

25% corporation tax rate begins, which could dilute the

basic rate tax payers and up to £94 for higher rate tax-

incentive. You should also note that it appears that super deduction expenditure must be pooled separately and if the assets are sold, a balancing charge of 130% will apply to the sale proceeds.

payers. Higher rate tax-payers who are also subject to NIC will lose £27 of this in additional NIC contributions though.

• The additional rate threshold also remains fixed at £150,000 until April 2026 • Dividend and savings allowances also remain fixed at £2,000 for dividends and £1,000 (or £500 for higher rate

3. Off-payroll working

taxpayers) for interest

As previously announced, from 1 April 2021 where an individual works for a large business in circumstances that he is engaged through a company but would have been an employee had he been engaged personally by the large business, PAYE

CGT • Capital Gains Tax rates remain unchanged this year • Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) remains at 10% with a lifetime allowance of £1million

and NIC will have to be deducted before any payment is made

• The annual exemption will now be fixed at £12,300 until

to his personal service company (PSC). The legislation was

April 2026 for individuals and 50% of that for Trustees

introduced last year, but there are some proposed revisions to clarify how it works. In particular it will be made clear that the

Pensions • The Lifetime allowances for pensions remain at £1,073,100 until April 2026

person liable for employer’s NIC is the business that is

• Contribution allowances will remain fixed until April

required to apply PAYE (which is not the large business if there

2026 at a maximum of £40,000 with tapering of up to

are intermediaries between it and the PSC), not the PSC.

£36,000 for the highest earners

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26

CBW

Budget Analysis

NIC

Corporation Tax

• The rates of NIC for employees, employers and the self-

• The Corporation Tax Rate will remain unchanged at 19%

employed remain the same, and the upper earnings limit will

until April 2023

continue to be the same as the higher rate income tax

• From April 2023 the rate will increase to 25% for the

threshold

largest businesses • Companies with profits of less than £50,000 will benefit

Employment Taxes

from a small profits rate of 19% which will be tapered

• The Employment allowance will remain the same at £4,000

upwards thereafter so that only those with profits in

this year

excess of £250,000 pay the full 25% rate • This increase in corporation tax, if not followed by any

IHT

changes to the tax rate of dividends will make the decision

• As in recently years, there are no IHT changes announced,

as to whether to pay a dividend or a salary to maximise tax

although changes have been anticipated for some time now

efficiency, even closer to call

• The Nil Rate Band remains fixed at £325,000 and the

• A temporary extension to the way losses can be relieved

Residential Nil Rate Band £175,000 and these will remain fixed

will be introduced for accounting periods ending between

until 2026

1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, and 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022 to enable up to £2million losses in each of those periods to be carried back for up to 3 years • A consultation into Research & Development (R&D) credits will be launched as will a consultation into Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) • A super-deduction of 130% for investment in plant and machinery that would usually qualify for main rate capital allowances will be available from April 2021 to March 2023. This is not available to unincorporated businesses.

Assets that would usually qualify for the special rate of capital allowances will benefit from a 50% writing down allowance during that period Alcohol Tobacco and Fuel Duty Rates • The planned increase on duties on beer, cider, wine, and spirits has been scrapped • The planned increase on fuel duty has also been scrapped Misc.

• ISA allowances remain fixed at £20,000, with the allowance for Junior ISAs and Child Trust Fund subscriptions both increasing from £4,368 to £9,000.

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CBW

Budget Analysis

Business Taxes

Coronavirus Support

• As for companies, a temporary extension to the way the

• Furlough payments will continue until the end of

losses of unincorporated businesses can be relieved will be

September. But, from July, employers will be asked to

introduced for 2020/21 and 2021/22 to enable up to

contribute 10% of their employees’ wages and in August

£2million losses in each of those periods to be carried back for up to 3 years • The £1million AIA limit remains for a further year Property & SDLT • A new Government backed guarantee scheme will be

and September this will be increased to 20% • A fourth and fifth SEISS grant will be available to the self-employed for the February-April 2021 and the May– July 2021 periods. Those whose turnover has reduced by

introduced for all buyers to enable them to obtain a

at least 30% will continue to be entitled to 80% of their

mortgage with a 5% deposit. A number of high street

average earnings as before. However, those who have

lenders have already agreed to accept this.

seen less of a reduction will be eligible for a reduced

• The current SDLT holiday on the first £500,000 will be

payment of 30% for these final two grants.

extended until 30 June 2021. From 1 July this will be

• Those who claim SEISS that they are not entitled to will

reduced to £250,000 and from 1 October will return to

be required to repay this in full

£125,000, i.e. its Pre-Covid level

• Newly self-employed individuals who submitted a

• Non-residents who purchase UK residential property will suffer an additional 2% SDLT surcharge from 1 April 2021, as had already been announced • ATED charges for those who pay them will be automatically increased each year in line with inflation

2019/20 tax return before 3rd March 2021 will now be eligible to claim under the fourth and fifth • The extra £20 per week paid to those claiming Universal Credits will continue for a further 6 months

VAT • Hospitality and Tourism will continue to benefit from the reduced rate of 5% until the end of September 2021 and an interim rate of 12.5% will apply from October 21 until 1 April 2022 • The VAT rates will remain as they are for the next year • VAT registration and deregistration threshold will remain unchanged • All VAT registered businesses will be required to operate digital record keeping under ‘making tax digital’ from 1 April 2022 Business Rates • The 100% Business rate holiday will continue for those

For more information contact Michaela Lamb, Tax Partner

who qualify. Thereafter, there will still be a discount

michaela.lamb@cbw.co.uk, t: +44 (0)20 7309 3851

provided of up to 2/3rd for the 9 months following.

www.cbw.co.uk

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28

GNIEBLLEW EEYOLPME

MANAGING EMPLOYEE WELLBEING THROUGH COVID-19 AND BEYOND As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a whole new understanding of how people are able to stay productive through challenging, uncertain times, adapt to new rules and adjust to homeworking.

However, the pandemic has also brought a new set of risks to the wellbeing of your people. From blurring the work/life balance, financial uncertainty, and anxiety about the future – you may have to support your people in ways you’ve not experienced before.

This is a big task, so training your managers is vital.

Handling sensitive conversations is a specific skill, and helping your managers understand how they can support their teams will help them tackle this.

And don’t forget about your managers too! They’ll need your support as they navigate the changes that working through the lifting of lockdown restrictions brings.

How you can support your people: There are a lot of options for you to look at when supporting your staff, and sometimes the simplest gesture can go a long way. It’s important you analyse how much help

BY CITATION

your staff need so you’re able to provide them with the right level of support. Here are a few examples of what you The experts of BSIA Associate Members Citation have put

can do to motivate and help your employees, to get you

together a guide to help you manage team wellbeing

started.

through the pandemic and beyond.

Take a look at your culture Where to start

• Set aside daily or weekly time for you and your employee

It’s important that you emphasise to your people that

to have a one-on-one during work time.

there’s no stigma around discussing mental health, and

• Make sure your people are aware that they can be honest

instead you should promote it. Clearly communicate that

and open with you.

you’re there to support them at all times, not just when things are difficult.

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• Allow your employees to develop their skills through online training, so they know their development is important to you.

Citation

mental wellbeing

• Pay attention to any changes in their behaviour, mood, work output, focus or motivation.

• Provide your employees with more positive and constructive feedback so they know how they can develop.

• Keep connected with employees who are working remotely by regularly communicating –whether it’s a phone call, video chat or text – make sure you’re not just firing off lots of emails that may go unread.

• Celebrate your employees’ achievements, whether they’re personal or professional Supporting your managers • Consider training for your managers so they know what signs to look for if someone on their team is struggling and how to handle any difficult conversations.

• Take their feedback on board and show them that you’re open to suggestions, so they feel involved.

• Offer them opportunities to attend courses, webinars, and workshops on how best to manage their teams’ wellbeing.

• Regularly communicate with them - they have the difficult job of supporting employees and they might well need some support too.

How Citation can help External wellbeing support

While the measures outlined in this article are just a small

Supporting your employees during work time is crucial to

selection of what you can do to support the wellbeing of your

maintain a happy and motivated workforce, but there are

people – during the pandemic, and beyond, you don’t have to

some uncertainties which you might not be able to reassure

do it all on your own.

them of.

Throughout the pandemic, our teams of Health & Safety and They may have bigger problems on their mind – like

HR & Employment Law experts have helped thousands of

financial and legal questions which they might not feel

clients keep their teams motivated and productive, while

comfortable discussing with you.

Teaming up with external providers can give your employees confidential answers to the most pressing questions around financial, legal, mental health and wellbeing matters, especially in these worrying times.

It means you can support your people around the clock when it matters most.

weathering the changing landscape of compliance and putting their legal obligations first.

If you’d like the backing of our expert team, simply give us a call on 0345 844 1111 and our team will be happy to discuss your business’ needs. Quote ‘British Security Industry Association’ when enquiring to access your member benefit and preferential rates.

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30

DAER TSOM LABOLG CESFI

IFSEC GLOBAL TOP 5 MOST READ Check out the stories that most engaged the security industry in March from IFSEC Global.

BY JAMES MOORE

1. HOW TO PROTECT OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM ATTACK Just how worried should we be about a cyber or physical attack on our national infrastructure? Chris Price reports on how the pandemic, the growth of remote working and IoT are putting assets at risk.

2. THE RISE OF BODY-WORN CAMERAS IN SECURITY, RETAIL AND HEALTHCARE Today, almost every UK police force now uses the technology and in some – such as the Metropolitan Police – body-worn cameras have been issued to all frontline officers. So, the real growth is now from other sectors, such as security officers, retail staff and healthcare workers. Ron Alalouff explores why.

3. A GUIDE TO THE NIST CYBER SECURITY FRAMEWORK With cyber security threats growing exponentially, it has never been more important to put together an efficient cyber risk management policy – the NIST Framework can help businesses do so. Read IFSEC Global’s guide to what it’s all about.

4. POWERFUL VIDEO AND RADAR SURVEILLANCE HELPS PROTECT UNITED STATES’ NORTHERN BORDER An increasing number of remote video surveillance towers using AI and radar are being deployed to help counter illegal activity on the US-Canada border.

5. PSTN SWITCH OFF: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO SECURITY INSTALLERS? Exploring why installers hold the keys to the UK’s safety and security and how the incoming PSTN switch-off is set to impact them.

Keep up with the latest in the security and fire safety sectors from IFSEC Global, by signing up to the newsletter - www.ifsecglobal.com/signup-for-the-ifsec-global-newsletter/

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SSECCUS YDUTS ESAC

RECYCLING FOR A GOOD CAUSE Epsom and St Hellier NHS wanted to create a positive impact on their IT equipment that was end of life or being replaced as part of a refresh project.

Enter Concept Management to assist with the project, which led to the the old equipment assisting a local charity.

BY MARK WILDING, CONCEPT MANAGEMENT

At the beginning of the project it was essential to ensure there was a seamless process of new installations and redundant equipment being appropriately dealt with.

This included

conforming with their disposal policy of complying with the Data Protection Act, ensuring that all data-bearing devices are

Concept Management’s standard mode of operation was to ensure complete data security and reputation protection when disposing of redundant IT equipment and pay a rebate or revenue back to the organisations for certain equipment.

The challenge with this project was to do it free of charge and offer rebates that could be used for a charitable causes and philanthropic aims.

With this in mind, for 2020, we have teamed up with a local charity called Transforming Lives, and have furnished all the staff and volunteers with laptops, that have been overwritten, refurbished and new software installed.

overwritten or physically destroyed, and adhering to the European WEEE Regulations. Single points of contact, auditable closed-loop processes, and for us to be able to demonstrate compliance were the objectives of the disposal process.

Disposing of redundant IT and end of life computers safely,

All the laptops are securely wiped exceeding the National Cyber Security Centre security specifications and have been wiped using White Canyon WipeDrive which has a DOD 5220-m wipe pattern to wipe hard drives. This pattern overwrites data on the hard drive three times using different bit patterns.

securely and compliantly is not new, but the thing that takes this initiative beyond current good practice is the determination of staff at Epsom and St Helier to re-use and utilise some of the equipment or generate an income that could be used for a better purpose.

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The DOD 5220.22-m wipe pattern is required by many organisations because it’s believed to provide extra assurance that data is eradicated.

Concept Management

IT Refresh

This standard was created by the National Industrial

In addition, they have launched a twice-weekly boxing

Security Program to provide guidelines for handling the

session. The friends praised Stephen Thomas, of Bolton

disposal of classified information and has earned the EAL

Wanderers Community Trust, who facilitates the start-up

2+ certification.

group at Elite Thai Boxing, in Halliwell, which is near to Concept Management and is used by lots of Concept staff.

This comprehensive certification includes laboratory testing and a source code audit to ensure it performs as advertised and meets the highest security standards.

The club at Wordsworth Mill is run by Alex Matvienko and top-class coaches. The professional boxers take time out to offer their services and it has been a huge success. The boxing has played a massive part in helping people to gain

Helping to Transform Lives

self-esteem, in improving wellbeing and improving discipline and social skills.

Dedicated volunteers Andrew Farnworth and Anthony Carr at Transforming Lives are strong believers that recovery is never out of reach — no matter how hopeless someone’s situation seems. To that end the pair have launched various community projects in a bid to help people out of dire circumstances.

The impact of this whole process has been a positive one, the goals quite simply were to take end of life IT equipment and put it to good use. Did we do what we set out to do? Yes, this was achieved and was deemed by the whole project team a success. Did we change the world? No, but we helped and will

The team established a football group for people with addictions, who had mental health issues, who were in rehabilitation or had other needs. They have also began to help people with addictions and gave service users the opportunity to improve their self-esteem, handle stress, keep fit, and move forward with their lives. Recently they

continue to help.

The project team’s goals were built around taking current resources and a desire to take something from the waste stream and re-utilise and to make somebody’s life easier and hopefully better. “Some of these lads have been helped back

also teamed up with Bolton Wanderers Community Trust

into work. It is about getting their social skills back, helping

funding their pitch hire — and they began to play in

them to access foodbanks, getting them housing, meeting

recovery leagues.

their needs. We are not trying to save the world. We are just doing our best to help people.” said Andy.

Adding to their huge list of community support groups, TLG set up a walking football group for the over 50s. The group,

The positives to come out of the project are clear, more

which runs every Thursday and Friday, is improving

reuse, meaning less waste being disposed. As a project team

people’s

social

we feel we have met expectations, we set a challenging goal

A Fat2Fit session and

and worked hard to get there and a fantastic underfunded

Community Open Age Football programme has also been

charity has had some help. Other than the obvious benefits

established.

the partnership has brought, it has been a great opportunity

fitness,

wellbeing,

opportunities for visitors.

and

providing

In 2015, the Charity decided to set up a fishing group, taking service users from prison, those with mental health problems, or young, vulnerable people, to Cobden Mill on a weekly basis. The team has a particular focus on the Farnworth area.

to help two great guys who sacrifice so much of their own time to this great cause.

To get involved in any of the community projects or offer assistance, telephone Anthony Carr on 07720 204 827 or Andy Farnworth on 07413 526 088.

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33

EMOH TA GNITNIRP

THE SAFETY RISKS OF PRINTING DOCUMENTS AT HOME If you can’t break the habit of printing out documents even when you’re remote working, you aren’t alone. Security Magazine quotes research that reveals 66% of home workers print out documents on average five times a week each.

Documents like these need handling correctly and

BY RESTORE DATASHRED

So why are remote workers printing out in the first place?

protectively through every stage of their lifecycle – from creation to digital and paper iterations, even through to how you dispose of them which must follow proper protocols and cannot just be thrown in the bin.

We understand that for industries where reading and Here are the top five types of documents that currently get printed out when working from home: 1. Meeting notes/agendas 2. Internal documents, including procedure manuals 3. Contracts and commercial documents

annotating long, complex documents is a key activity, paper is a more comfortable format to work with. We also believe that printing out documents is a habit and of course, some people simply don’t know it is high risk.

Since March 2020 companies have had to undergo a highspeed adaptation to working from home and at least a third

4. Receipts/expense forms

of the workforce in this country is still working remotely full

5. Industry related copy

time. This rapid transition may have left companies exposed in areas like lacking high-functioning VPNs; team members

Home workers from the same survey also admitted to

working on personal laptops or desktops; having patchy

printing out payroll and HR information, along with CVs and

password protection or a lack of malware security software

other identifying material which contain personal and

and crucially, employees being under-trained in GDPR/UK

sensitive data.

data protection protocols.

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34

At The same Security Magazine-quoted research shows that there is certainly confusion, probably through inadequate training, about what is and is not permitted for handling printed data when working remotely.

Data protection still needs to rule.

For those printing out sensitive documents, it is important to question what happens if those CVs get lost and the senior leadership team’s payroll details end up being shredded for the hamster’s bedding, or someone tidies your home working space and mistakenly throws your planning notes into the recycling? Even though you do score a point for shredding paper (for the hamster), none of these is the correct final destination for any of these documents.

home

printing

With correct handling at every stage, especially important for paper at the end of its useful or statutory life, there will be no more need for ‘secret’ printing. You can safely continue with your use of paper printouts, safe in the knowledge that the final stage – disposal – is taken care of through professional and confidential shredding services.

This is where Restore Datashred steps into the picture.

Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to run our data destruction business to the same ‘Excellent’ (Trustpilot) standards as we always do, operating our fleet of modern, high-security vehicles and destroying customer data on a daily basis. We do this with robust precautions built in to reassure both customers and employees that we take your data security very seriously.

Here’s what we can do to keep your business and your WFH colleagues fully compliant: We can supply our Datashred paper sacks to your teams working from home who can fill them with obsolete paper and digital data to keep them separate and secure.

We will arrange a secure collection time, whichever options you choose, observing all the COVID-19 distancing requirements.

Any of these scenarios could cause a serious issue if someone sees information they should not, broadcasts the data or uses it deviously, and this could lead to the potential loss of reputation for an employer and even a huge fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

With working spaces so disparate, now more than ever, businesses need to adopt a strong approach to protecting their data. This means ensuring that systems and processes are secure throughout the handling of information, and that teams know what they should be doing to comply with these procedures.

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We will promptly destroy all your confidential data and follow this up by sending you an emailed certificate of destruction for your records.

Whatever your shredding needs during these extraordinary times, we are operating our business to the same high standards of security and confidentiality as ever.

The only question left to ask is, are you?

For more information about our home shredding service, why not speak to one of our friendly, knowledgeable customer service team

on

0330

0538

541

www.restore.co.uk/Datashred

or

go

to

our

website