Business Round Table
The importance of a clean desk policy
by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Cheryl Baumgartner 
Medical...
As we enter into 2008, new legislation takes effect to address the problem of information security in the workplace. On of the things you can implement to reduce your risk is a "clean desk" policy. Whether you have thousands of employees or you are a single self employed individual, a clean desk policy can make information security much easier.
I can't tell you how many times I've gone to an appointment in my capacity as a group benefits specialist that I have seen personal information just laying around for the taking. In an office setting you have high traffic anyone can slip a document off your desk and into their pocket. A document containing personally identifying information can be used to commit identity theft. If you have it just laying around, sooner or later someone will get their hands on it.
If you work out of your home, you still have to address the issue. Do you lock your home office when you aren't working? If not any visitor to your home has access to your office and any personal information in it. Maids, service and repairmen can easily take the information. The safest policy for us all is to keep the personal information locked out of sight when it is not in use.
Jan 2nd 2008 06:28
Medical...As we enter into 2008, new legislation takes effect to address the problem of information security in the workplace. On of the things you can implement to reduce your risk is a "clean desk" policy. Whether you have thousands of employees or you are a single self employed individual, a clean desk policy can make information security much easier.
I can't tell you how many times I've gone to an appointment in my capacity as a group benefits specialist that I have seen personal information just laying around for the taking. In an office setting you have high traffic anyone can slip a document off your desk and into their pocket. A document containing personally identifying information can be used to commit identity theft. If you have it just laying around, sooner or later someone will get their hands on it.
If you work out of your home, you still have to address the issue. Do you lock your home office when you aren't working? If not any visitor to your home has access to your office and any personal information in it. Maids, service and repairmen can easily take the information. The safest policy for us all is to keep the personal information locked out of sight when it is not in use.
Jan 2nd 2008 06:28
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Comments
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Rae Steinbrink
 I do run a small home business, and never even considered the payments I received by mail to be at risk, I realize now that even these few checks need to be under lock and key. Thank-you Cheryl for this very important tip! Jan 2nd 2008 06:42 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceWe always remember the major things but little things like this normally slip under the radar. More importantly as the Red Flag rules take effect, little violations like these can lead to major problems! Jan 2nd 2008 06:46 |
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Jenny Stewart
I think some of us (I will fess up to this one) are more careless when we work at home than if we worked in someone else's place. Becuase your home is your castle etc, it iso easy to forget that one's visotrs, including clients and who ever else, can READ. My computer is pretty secure and I take all sorts of protective measure to protect information on it, BUT then leave all sorts of stuff written on pieces of papers lying all over the desk. Time for a change - thanks Cheryl. Jan 2nd 2008 19:04 |
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Rae Steinbrink
I don't have any connected personal information on my computer. Even the program I use for billing customers only shows an address, no names. I do however have personal checks I receive for payments and these do have personal information! Since my son and his ever-growing lists of friends are always around, these checks cannot be left out in the open. Actually, I don't leave them out in the open anyway, but given this new law, I better put them in a safer place until I take them in for deposits. Because my son and his friends use this computer, I don't even put my personal bank or credit card information on this machine! Jan 2nd 2008 19:42 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceI think must of us have pretty much gotten the computer security beaten in our thick skulls. And yes Jenny we do tend to be less careful in our own space because we feel safe and secure there. But we need to be careful of things that are not password protected and encrypted too. Any personal information needs to be secured, that includes paper items removable memory sticks and anything else we keep info in or on Jan 2nd 2008 20:13 |
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Mark Johnson
 Hey Cheryl. I remember an old adage that stated: "A clean desk is a sign of a sick mind." But, that was before information security became such an issue. Thank you for the heads up. Jan 2nd 2008 20:44 |
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Joseph Botelho
 Investing One Gram at a TimeHi Cheryl, Funny that l read your blog today on desk cleaning been doing the desk cleaning all week in the final stages of having it all the way l like it....................ORGANIZED........how long it will last that way only l can control that.....The sad part is a found material that l needed a week ago and couldn't found it......wonder why l couldn't found it..... GOOD REMINDER TO ALL........ Jan 19th 2008 11:02 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceI had a busy day today dropping in on auto dealers. I walked into one dealership and no one was in the office, and all sorts of applications for cars and registrations were laying around. Sad thing is the owner really didn't care that someone was in the office unattended for 15 minutes with all of this stuff. Jan 19th 2008 20:57 |
Great Stuff Cheryl,
So many times it is easy to open a letter from HR and then leave it laying on your desk so you will remember to take it home with you and forget about it. I know I have that problem ;-)
Jan 2nd 2008 06:33