In Fervor Over Cyber Breaches, Don’t Neglect Paper Risks

Corporate attention has shifted to preventing or managing major cyber security breaches, but a recent Department of Health and Human Services report shows that many breaches, especially smaller ones, involve paper records. In 2012, nearly a quarter of major breaches involved paper records, and that rose to 61 percent when looking at minor breaches – those impacting 500 or fewer individuals. Misdirected faxes and mailings, along with improper disposal, were main factors in the paper breaches, said Kate Borten, founder of the Marblehead Group consulting firm. Companies should not forget to maintain security of paper records. One recommendation: Train employees to shred paper documents before throwing them out.