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With the most recent federal election behind us (can you believe it was only 3 months ago that we cast our ballots?) most Canadians’ interest in local politics has been relegated to what’s shown on the daily news. Here in our offices, we’re always observing what’s happening in the Prime Minister’s office. Federal legislation passed in the House of Commons will affect the way we do business, as laws protecting personal information affect what is considered confidential and how it must be stored and destroyed. We’ll keep abreast of the changing landscape of information security to provide our clients with the most secure services. We do this so that the companies that employ us are lawful in the way they do business, protecting their clients from harmful security breaches. It is funny then, that the government responsible for regulating personal information protection can forget the importance of their own laws. Rarely do these breaches occur due to the complete neglect of the law. In the news, those governments suffering from data leaks are usually victim to malicious attacks on vulnerable systems as opposed to an outright lack of safeguards. Regardless, this is still unacceptable, as it can expose millions of citizens’ private information to hackers and identity thieves. The Canadian government’s cyber security wasn’t up to snuff just this past June, when a high-profile cyber-attack from the hacktivist group Anonymous crashed the federal website and email systems. Though far-reaching, the attack luckily didn’t expose any critical information, as the hack – a form of protest of the passing of Bill C-51 – only shut down the emails of government employees and the official websites of several federal departments. By comparison, the federal government’s earlier breach in 2014 is downright sinister. Over the course of four months, over 100 privacy breaches occurred – 101 to be exact! Hitting mostly Veteran’s Affairs, Citizenship and Immigration, and Canada Revenue Agency, these departments leaked the personal information of countless individuals. What this tells us is that parts of the Canadian government will crumble under pointed attacks on their cyber security. Like every corporation, the Government of Canada has to consider their security policy very carefully, ensuring its cyber security can withstand malicious hacks in addition to malware and phishing scams. A strong policy is a comprehensive one that covers all of the bases. Though unfortunate, these breaches should be taken as lessons for your individual and company’s well-being. Only a well-prepared corporation can protect against security breaches, so be sure to spend considerable time developing a policy that is far-reaching and reliable. Get in touch with us to round out your policy with our secure document and electronic data destruction services. Our “Guarantee of Destruction” ensures that any of your files and electronic devices (including external hard drives, memory sticks, and laptops) are completely demolished before we recycle them. Our process is backed by NAID and guarantees that no data is retrievable after passing through our mobile shredding trucks. So don’t delay any longer. Give us a call or request a quote, and we can schedule a pick-up appointment at your earliest convenience.