Improper ways to handle data still a problem
It should be obvious to people of all kinds that transporting information is a delicate process that should not be taken lightly. Still, incidences of improper conduct regarding the transmission of files are rampant, seeing as it is much easier for employees to slack off and handle things however they choose than it is to follow procedure. In order to avoid these problems, companies should have better backup tape management in place to protect these files from workers themselves.
An ongoing issue
Not everyone is invested in the wellbeing of corporate files as the people meant to protect them, and couriers especially are not personally interested in this process. Therefore, when transmitting data, it makes the most sense to use a service or some other resource that is guaranteed to uphold best practices for data security.
This scenario became painfully clear for members of the Scottish Borders Council when it found more than 650 internal records languishing in a supermarket paper recycling bin. It turns out, according to The Register, that the individual in charge of the process of digitizing the council’s files had simply dropped off these records at public paper facilities. In terms of document control and data protection, this is a huge oversight.
Internal problems abound
To lay the blame completely on individual employees isn’t the solution, though, as whole companies have trouble upholding security standards that are acceptable for federal and state compliance guidelines. This is an issue that affects media management within all industries and businesses of every size, with data processing becoming a regular part of every organization. As soon as backup tape and other file storage programs are put into play, there needs to be a modicum of security placed on these facilities.
Medical and government centers especially have seen the biggest brunt of leakage in the last few years, according to Healthcare IT News. The source reported that some states have seen upward of 600 breaches per 1,000 members of the population thanks to public records leaks. Virginia specifically took the trophy as the biggest loser when medical storage provider TRICARE lost more than half the state’s population worth of backup files. Better security standards could prevent these incidents from occurring, and encrypted backup tape can help.