Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008 - (Page 12)

Feature Inside Job By David Henkel it’s an Information security involves detailed attention to both physical and data security, coupled with proof of compliance and robust staff training I nformation security has been emerging as a key issue for print and mail organizations during the past few years. The real possibility of identity theft, coupled with the sometimes reckless reporting by the media of every data breech, have raised the level of concern considerably. We are being viewed as “data stewards” and, as such, required to do our best to minimize the risk of a security lapse, with the data we handle and the documents we create. Because we are all responsible for the information in our businesses, it is critical to be aware of the level of seriousness required and put internal processes into place that ensure fail-safe procedures. Administrative, technical and physical safeguards must be implemented to protect classiﬁed information. This proves to your employees and customers that you have done the work needed to keep their information safe. Starting at the Top To be truly eﬀective, a security initiative needs to be a top-down eﬀort, with the visible involvement and leadership of senior management. Everyone in the organization must buy in to the importance of having measures in place to help manage and eliminate security violations. It must be a mandate, a clear-cut signal that the company is really serious about protecting the personal information of the customers and prospects of our clients. In other words, document security simply becomes part of the corporate philosophy. Most companies start out thinking of all the obvious factors involved in information security. If you have been in this industry for some time, you have probably always had some basic safeguards in place to protect your facility and the data you utilize. However, when you look at information security globally, it involves detailed attention to both physical and data security, coupled with proof of compliance and robust staﬀ training. Lately, there has been a dramatic shift in the emphasis placed on in- formation security by our clients. They now require more than good intentions and broad generalities to ensure compliance with good security practices. Most importantly, you now need to provide evidence of all security activities with extensive documentation. Many ﬁnancial and retail institutions in particular have increased their diligence in requiring protection for information that is shared with vendors. Our clients are subject to a number of regulations in the security arena, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, protecting the privacy of ﬁnancial information. Yet there is a surprising amount of variation in adherence to the issue. In terms of speciﬁc guidelines, there are two approaches to meeting information security requirements. In general, it appears that most vendors of transaction documents will be subject to the requirements of SAS 70, while providers of marketing materials and mailings will need to follow ISO 27001/27002 (formerly ISO 17799). Both 12 MAY-JUNE 2008 | WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM http://www.mailingsystemstechnology.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008

Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Peer to Peer It’s an Inside Job Greening Your Mail Center Adopting an Automated Document Factory Intelligent Mail and Address Quality 7 Steps to Combat “Do Not Mail” A Successful Resolution Q&A with Dan G. Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission The Intelligent Mail Barcode Developing High-Performance Teams Simple Strategies to Save You Money A Powerful Social Network With Change, Comes Opportunity Increasing the Deliverability of Mail Kate’s Slate Products & Services People of Distinction Advertiser Index Sho Time

Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008

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