A pile of shredded confidential material

News & Insights

What is sensitive data?

All companies and businesses have information that should not fall into the wrong hands, so-called confidential information. Simply put, this is information that contains personal or confidential data – sensitive data that must not be distributed.

Confidential documents, digital records and confidential agreements – many businesses and companies hold sensitive information that should not be made publicly available. This may be material the distribution of which is prohibited by law, or that is classified as confidential due to company policies. If secret or confidential information is disseminated, it can harm companies both financially and in terms of loss of trust.

What is considered sensitive information? It’s much more than just digital personal data.

What is considered sensitive information?

Financial reports, payrolls and profitability calculations
Hardware such as USB sticks and hard drives
Marketing materials, business plans and campaign ideas
Branded clothing, profile clothing and uniforms that need to be replaced or discarded
Keys and access cards
Quotations and contracts
Personal data relating to employees, clients and/or patients
Mail & email
Prototypes and faulty products
Sketches and drawings
Stamps and stickers
Proprietary material in all formats

Why do you need to delete sensitive information?

All businesses that handle personal data must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means that you and your colleagues need to process personal data correctly. In short, you need to follow the basic principles, ensure that the processing has a legal basis and inform your customers about how your company processes their personal data.

A basic principle of the General Data Protection Regulation is that you must only collect personal data for certain specified purposes – for example, to be able to manage contracts, delivery and invoicing to your customers. You may only collect data that is necessary to fulfill the specified purpose and the data must only be stored for as long as necessary. In short – as a result of the GDPR, the requirements for privacy have become stricter and you need to regularly review the personal data you process.

Why you need to comply with GDPR

You strengthen your customers’ rights regarding the processing of personal data

You avoid the risk of significant fines

You have a competitive advantage when you can demonstrate compliance

It is worthwhile to have a secure procedure for how to dispose of confidential paper and storage media, destroy hard drives and manage secure document destruction. Personal data should not end up in the wrong hands as it can harm your business. There is only one way to make sure your secrets stay secret – by completely destroying them.

At Stena Confidential, we can help you dispose of sensitive data in various ways, regardless of your needs.

Benefit from our services

Man with cap holding a container for confidential waste with a truck in the background

Secure collection and transport

Secure collection and transport are a crucial part of the disposal of confidential documents and electronics containing sensitive data.

A Stena Confidential employee disposing of electronic materials

Traceable destruction

Security and traceability are top priorities when you entrust us with disposing of your confidential information.

Computers to be reused by Stena Recycling

How we contribute to a circular economy

Every step of the process, from collection to destruction to reuse, is carefully monitored. At Stena Confidential, we work together with you to actively contribute to a circular economy.

Weak spots in traditional document management

Disposing of documents in an ordinary waste basket or ordinary trash bags increases the risk of confidential information being disclosed. Here are three areas which may result in disclosure of sensitive information.

Waste baskets

If documents containing sensitive information end up in waste baskets or unlocked garbage rooms, there is a risk that people who are not authorized to view sensitive information will get access to it.

Trucks

Recycling companies which do not offer confidential waste disposal services load intact, unredacted documents for transport. This gives unauthorized persons the opportunity to access sensitive data.

Sorting systems

At facilities that are not subject to high security requirements, employees and volunteers can read, share and steal sensitive data while performing sorting work.

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