The protection of your data is vital, but ever since the Data Protection Act of 2018, the importance of data protection has increased drastically. The new laws brought into play with this act are built to help regulate, protect and restrict the flow of your data. However, this also means that you need to have a good understanding of the restrictions and regulations in order to make sure you are complying with them before destroying data in order to avoid fees and more.
Retention Periods And Retention Policies
When it comes to destroying data, there are some set-in-stone regulations that may prevent you from freely destroying documents. Retention periods are placed on some documents such as employment contracts and business agreements, which must be kept for at least 6 years before being destroyed. Other documents that have a retention policy on them include VAT records, pension documents and contracts. When is the right time to destroy your documents, though?
You No Longer Need Them
When the lifecycle of a document has come and gone and you no longer need the document, it is time to destroy them. Business documents that do not relate to clients, employees or company information are free to be destroyed at any time.
If You Have Backup Documents
If you have gone through and digitized some of your hard copy documents in order to clean up your filing system, or prevent the loss of data, you can destroy documents. Digital backups can be saved online and can reduce the need for you to store hardcopies of everything.
Personal Data
If you have non-business related data or contracts, you can destroy this data at any time. However, making sure you have digital copies can be useful.
This post was written by Steven Elia Co-Founder and Recycling Director at eCycle Florida. ECycle Florida is a R2 Certified electronics recycling company in the state of Florida. Our processes and procedures are dedicated to the proper destruction and recycling of your electronics. ECycle Florida is your go-to for Pinellas County electronics recycling.