For many professionals working within the education sector, it doesn’t register how much data is freely given out to third parties, on the basis of trust. With the introduction of GDPR, it is now more important than ever to take a step back and really think about who has access to your confidential data and what steps they take out to ensure it remains secure.
One-way GDPR needs to be thought about is with the use of personal information being used for identification. Photo ID cards are a necessity for all educational organisations so here are three essential steps any organisation can follow in the build up to the new academic year or enrolment 2018.
Do you Outsource your ID Card Printing?
The main benefits of outsourcing card printing come in the form or saving time and money, especially for schools that don’t need a high volume of ID cards. The initial outlay required can be high, but printing your own cards in-house gives you total control and means you are not reliant on any third-party provider. If you are using or looking to work with a 3rd party provider, ensure they are compliant with GDPR policies and know exactly how they will receive, store, handle and more importantly dispose of all personal data once the job is finished.
Look back over any existing contracts to see if they are still applicable and keep a record of who has access to this data. Any third party that doesn’t have this data readily available will not only be at risk to themselves but can also put your organisation at risk of serious consequences just by working with them.
Opting for a GDPR Enhanced Card Printer Equals Increased Security!
Colleges and Universities predominantly print a higher volume of cards over a primary school setup, so opting to print photo ID badges in-house can be much more cost-effective. If this is the case then now is the perfect opportunity to upgrade to a secure ID card printer model with enhanced GDPR security features including time-sensitive data wiping, ribbon erase and secure Kensington locks. Printing using a standard model means anyone can gain access, not only to the main printer body and the cards, but also to the ribbon which contains confidential data that is clearly visible on the panels.
Do you Securely Dispose of Used Card Printer Ribbons & Cards?
After you have printed, confidential data and imprints can be left on printer ribbons, so, if an unauthorised personnel were to have access to these, they could gain just as much information as they would from the ID card itself. This means you have to have a clear, effective way of disposing of these securely. This also applies to cards no longer in use.
You are in charge of important personal data, so you must ensure to take care of it properly from start to finish.
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