Whether you’re applying for a new job or documents need to be shipped off in relation to buying a new house, there are many reasons for confidential documents to be sent via parcel delivery. Obviously, there are many risks associated with this, from damage, to your documents ending up in the wrong hands putting your personal data at risk. To avoid such disastrous things from happening, there are several steps that you should take to ensure that your confidential documents are sent safely and securely.
Select the Right Packaging for the Contents
The first step to protecting your documents in transit is selecting the appropriate packaging depending on the size and quantity of your documents. This is one of the only factors you have complete control over during your letter delivery, so it’s imperative that you package your documents perfectly. Your chosen document courier will not be responsible for the packaging of your confidential documents, which is why it’s paramount that you take it seriously.
For single items, such as a few confidential documents, some medical records or a letter, you can send these safely and securely via a sealed envelope. To let your document courier know about the confidential contents, you must mark the envelope with the words “Private and Confidential”, as this way your courier can deliver the envelope correctly and keep the contents protected. This envelope must clearly address the contact that it’s being sent to; it sounds obvious right? Many people make minor mistakes with their written address, but one tiny error could have fatal results, with your confidential documents being sent to the completely wrong address.
On the contrary, if you’re a business, you might be sending bulk items, like several records going back to file. In this case, all files must be kept in a secure area when awaiting collection, otherwise anyone can have access to the confidential parcel. Again, ensure that you state that the contents of the parcel are private, otherwise you run the risk of improper handling from the document courier.
Encrypt Any Digital Data
In a technological age, lots of our confidential information is stored on a database as opposed to on paper, so if files need to be sent by post, it is usually done on a hard drive or USB stick. You might be thinking “Well why couldn’t I just digitally send my confidential documents via email, then?” Simply, using email as a way to send confidential data is much riskier than via parcel delivery, as any data can become corrupt and stolen by cyber-attackers, allowing them to gain access to private data easily.
So, when opting to send digital data via parcel delivery, it’s imperative that all information on disks or hard drives is encrypted, and this is particularly important when sending medical data to hospitals, as unencrypted personal information isn’t allowed in the NHS. Once appropriately packaging your form of removable media, you must ensure that it’s dispatched via recorded Mail or a service that’s equivalent, and ensure that you mark this on the parcel or envelope.
Select the Correct Parcel Delivery Service
Sending paper documents will require a document courier, and these specific companies are more skilled in ensuring your confidential data is sent across safely and securely. The procedure of sending a parcel can be worrying, as we’ve all heard of cases where things have gone wrong. Therefore, for peace of mind, it might be worthwhile investing more money in a faster parcel delivery.
Particularly if you’re sending confidential information in bulk, you should consider paying more money for a special delivery service. Of course, there will still be a minor risk of losing these documents, but that risk is significantly reduced, and if you’re sending confidential documents in bulk on business terms, optimising the protection of client’s personal information is vital. Within this bracket though, you might want to ensure that your document courier provides a private delivery service. By securing this type of service, your confidential information will receive complete attention from the document courier, so you can be rest assured that it isn’t mixed up with any other packages and accidently delivered to an incorrect address.
