This is a list of things that a business can do to insure secure strong identity theft protection. Almost every business is doing all it can to protect its customers from identity theft, but some identity thieves just seem to be head of the identity theft game. If they want the personal information that you are protecting bad enough, they will try to figure out a way to get that information. Here are 15 ways that might help your business thwart identity thieves.
- Any employee who will have access to personal identifying information, do a background, both criminal and civil, check before hiring.
- Provide a cross-cut paper shredder at each workstation or cash register. Use a locked wastebasket and shredding company for any sensitive data, such as credit card slips, or prescription forms.
- For employee, client and customer ID numbers use alternate number instead of social security number
- Never send out mail that includes anyone complete social security number
- If you work in the field of medicine, require that their health insurance providers to use an alternate membership number rather than their SSN.
- Make sure all staff is trained in security procedures in regards to sending sensitive personal data by email, telephone, or fax.
- Keep all sensitive information of customers and employees on any item out of view of the public. Buy a protective screen for any computer that a customer or patient might view.
- In the event of a data breach that contains sensitive information notify affected individuals in a time manner.
- Never require any items for security, such as a locker in the gym, which contains personal identifying information.
- Put photos on all employee identification cards or badges
- Keep all personal date about customers and employees out of public areas and in locked cabinet.
- Password protect or encrypt all sensitive data on a computer. Only allow access on a need-to-know basis. Keep to a minimum the number of people who have access to such sensitive data.
- Make sure all employees are train in how to receive personal identification information.
- Notify, in advance, employees and customers the purpose of data collection, who it will go to and the use after the fulfillment of the original purpose.
- Never ask for more data than absolutely necessary.
These are just some the things that you can add to the identity theft protection programs you already have in place.