Protect Your Identity!

Since our sister site, OnTimeSupplies.com, is an on-line merchant, they are constantly upgrading their software with the latest security, and making sure that customers’ personal information is protected.  They take security extremely seriously and are always on guard for identity theft.

I was actually looking at a couple of our primary vendors sites and found some great information and products for typical consumers that will help keep your information secure.  Most of the tips are common sense, but there may be a couple of tips that maybe helpful for you!  Please feel free to add any that are helpful in the comments section.  Thanks!

FROM biggestbook.com “What can you do to protect yourself.  Here are some hints:”

– Don’t leave sensitive documents on your desk if you are not in the room.
– Make sure your file cabinets lock.
– Invest in a shredder to shred any sensitive documents, including rough drafts, client correspondence and the like.
– Make sure you have a desk drawer that also locks. A locking cash box or safe will work if your file cabinets don’t lock. It can be locked and tucked away somewhere inconspicuous.
– If you are purchasing a product online, for business or personal use, make sure the site is secure before typing in your credit card number.
– Make sure you have a desk drawer that also locks. A locking cash box or safe will work if your file cabinets don’t lock. It can be locked and tucked away somewhere inconspicuous.
– Don’t say anything in an e-mail that you wouldn’t want copied and spread around.
– Keep your voice low when talking on the phone about sensitive matters, particularly if you work in a cubicle.
– Avoid talking about personal matters on the phone unless you want the entire office to overhear.
– When sending checks, gift certificates and the like through the mail, use privacy envelopes.
– If you want to make sure no one opens an envelope or package except the intended recipient, use tamper-proof packaging that makes it obvious to the recipient that the package was opened.
– Turn off your computer when you leave the office. It won’t be as easy for someone to log on and access if your information if they have to start the whole system up and enter a password.
– Don’t leave cash lying around.
– Don’t leave home addresses and phone number of other employees, clients or friends on your desk where someone might see them.
– Be careful of fraudulent e-mails that ask you to click on a link embedded in the e-mail message to update your account information, credit card information or other private data. These are usually not legitimate.
– Do not open attachments to e-mail messages sent to you from someone you don’t know. They might contain a worm or virus that would play havoc with your computer system.

From Fellows.com website: “Twelve Steps to Protect Your Information”
1. Guard your mail and trash from theft and shred documents or letters that contain your personal information. Shred any documents containing personal information that you no longer need.

2. Deposit potentially sensitive outgoing mail at the post office or in collection boxes.

3. Carry only the identification and the credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need.

4. Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates or employ outside help. Believe it or not, even family members have been known to steal personal information.

5. Keep your purse, wallet or forms with sensitive data in a safe place at work.

6. Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs) and even government agencies to get you to reveal information.

7. Don’t use personal information, like your Social Security number, as a password on any accounts.

8. If your state uses your Social Security number as your driver’s license number, ask to substitute another number. Do the same if your health insurance company or financial service provider uses it as your account number.

9. Ask about security and disposal procedures in your workplace and at offices and businesses that collect your personal information.

10. Order copies of your credit report every year from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies or through AnnualCreditReport.com (see inset). You are entitled by law to one free report each year, so take advantage of this important program.

11. Make a list of all of your credit card and bank account numbers with customer service numbers and keep them in a safe place.

12. Check financial statements promptly and report problems immediately. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time. It could mean a thief has stolen your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.

Here is some information that I found on the 3M site.  The screens provide privacy protection, glare reduction, and they also protect the screen from damage.  The reason I like this information is because it shows how to actually measure the screen.  I hope it helps.

It is critical that you measure your monitor screen correctly to ensure proper fit of your computer filter.

Be sure to measure only the viewable screen area.

For frameless filters, the size must be exactly what you measure. For framed filters, choose the size that is nearest to your actual screen measurement or slightly larger.

Find out which 3M™ Computer Filter will work best for your work environment and screen size with the Selection Guide (PDF, 63 KB).

3M™ Notebook/LCD Privacy Filters Filter Viewing Area
Height x Width
Filter Viewing Area Diagonal Fits Monitor Size
PF12.1 7-3/8″ x 9-3/4″ 12-1/16″ 12.1″
PF12.1W 6-1/2″ x 10-3/8″ 12/1/16″ 12.1″ Widescreen
PF13.3 8.0″ x 10-5/8″ 13-1/4″ 13.3″
PF13.3W 7 15/16″ x 10 5/8″ 13 5/16″ 13.3″ Widescreen
PF14.1 8-1/2″ x 11-1/4″ 14-1/16″ 14.1″
PF14.1W 7-1/2″ x 12″ 14-1/16″ 14.1″ Widescreen
PF15.0 9″ x 12″ 15″ 15.0″
PF15.4W 8-3/16″ x 13-1/16″ 15-3/8″ 15.4″ Widescreen
PF17.0 10 5/8″ x 13 3/8″ 17″ 17.0″
PF17.0W 9-1/16″ x 14-1/2″ 17″ 17.0″ Widescreen
PF18.1 11-3/8″ x 14-1/8″ 18-1/16″ 18.1″
PF19.0 11-7/8″ x 14-13/16″ 19″ 19.0″
PF19.0W 10 1/8″ x 16 3/16″ 19″ 19.0″ Widescreen
PF20.1 12-1/8″ x 16-1/8″ 20-1/16″ 20.1″
PF20.1W 10-3/4″ x 17-1/8″ 20-1/16″ 20.1″ Widescreen
PF21.3 12 13/16″ x 18 5/8″ 21 5/16″ 21.3″
PF21.6W 11 7/16″ 18 1/4″ 21 5/8″ 21.6″ Widescreen
PF22.0W 11-5/8″ x 18-7/8″ 22″ 22.0″ Widescreen
PF24.0W 12-3/4″ x 20-3/8″ 24″ 24.0″ Widescreen
PF26.0W 13 9/16″ x 21 5/8″ 25 9/16″ 25 9/16″ widescreen
PF27.0W 14 3/8″ x 22 15/16″ 27 1/16″ 27 1/16″ widescreen
PF28.0W 14 5/8″ x 23 3/8″ 27 9/16″ 27 9/16″ widescreen
PF30.0W 15 3/4″ x 25 1/4″ 29 3/4″ 29 3/4″ widescreen
Glass Framed Filter Sizes
(Desktop LCD & CRT Monitors)
Filter Viewing Area
Height x Width
Filter Viewing Area Diagonal Fits Monitor Size
Large (L) (PF400L/LB, EF200L/LB, EX10L)(Flat) 9-3/4″ x 12-3/4″ 16″ 14″-16″ CRT and 15″ LCD
X-Large (XL, XLB)(flat) 11-1/2″ x 14-1/8″ 18-1/4″ 16″-19″ CRT and 17″-18″ LCD
XX-Large (XXL,XXLB)(flat) 13 x 16 20-5/8″ 19″-21″ CRT and 19″-20″ LCD
Framed Lightweight Privacy Filters
(Desktop LCD Monitors Only)
Filter Viewing Area
Height x Width
Filter Viewing Area Diagonal Fits Monitor Size
PF317 10 15/16″ x 13 5/8″ 17 3/8″ 17″ Standard LCDs
PF319 12 3/8″ x 15 5/16″ 19 3/4″ 19″ Standard LCDs
PF317W 9 1/2″ x 14 15/16″ 17 3/4″ 17″ Widescreen LCDs
PF319W 10 9/16″ x 16 11/16″ 19 3/4″ 19″ Widescreen LCDs

How to Ensure the Safety of Your Mailroom

In a day not that far removed from the anthrax attacks of 2001, people are genuinely concerned about the safety of their office mailroom. After all, businesses, perhaps even more so than people, have a way of attracting attention, and not all of it will be positive. Of course, dangers can not only come through the mail, but internally as well. This is true not only of the mailroom, but of all aspects of the office or business you work in. As workplace safety should be a paramount concern of any office manager or executive, we have devised an article which will help you to ensure the safety of your workers, and particularly that of your mailroom.

 

Make Sure Your Security Procedures Are Current

 

One thing that tends to fall by the wayside in any office or business is security and safety procedures. Put someone in charge of making sure the handbook is up to date, and make sure all employees have a copy. Observe the employees and make sure they are following all securities procedures to the letter. With time, this is one of the areas that tends to get lax. Make sure that if this is the case, that it is remedied. If necessary, put someone in charge of specifically maintaining all security and safety procedures. In addition to this, it is always a good idea to make sure your mailroom is using up to date equipment to ensure safety as well as efficiency. Safco and Fellowes, among others, make high quality mailroom equipment that can be used in conjunction with a well oiled mailroom.

 

Give Proper OSHA Training

 

Ensure that your employees are well versed in the procedures to follow in case of fire, waste spillage, or the encounter of chemicals in the mail they sort. It is better to be prepared for the worst then to assume that nothing will ever happen. In all likelihood, of course, nothing ever will. But at the same time, it pays to be alert and careful, and know what to do should a bad situation arise. This includes following OSHA guidelines, which can not only keep your office mailroom within the letter of the law, but contribute to a safe working environment and produce less risk of having a workman’s comp claim down the road.

 

Communication Is Vital

 

It should be standard to issue all of your mailroom employees either walkie talkies or cell phones (or both) in order to maintain communication in the event of an emergency. These employees need to be in constant contact with their superiors, even if they do not have a supervisor overlooking them at all times. If an emergency does arise, it should be easy to contact someone through the use of these devices.

 

Enforce Access Restrictions

 

All mailroom employees should be issued a badge or a security code in order to access the mailroom. You don’t want any part of your office or business open to intruders, but the mailroom is an especially vulnerable spot. Once your access system is in place, make sure it is followed without question. This is another area where companies tend to relax after a few years, but it’s a better idea to stay vigilant.

 

Be Wary of Suspicious Deliveries

 

Finally, make sure your employees know what to look out for when it comes to deliveries they handle. Do not accept deliveries from carriers that do not have proof of the organization they belong to. In addition, have them be aware of what constitutes a package or delivery that could be suspicious. This includes packages that have much more than the needed postage, and addresses that are sloppily written. Any packages or envelopes that are stained, or lacking a return address are also worthy of caution. None of these signs inherently mean there is something menacing about the package or delivery, but they are telltale signs that something could be wrong. On the other hand, any delivery from unknown origin is worthy of suspicion, and your employees should be aware of this as they work through the mail.

 

In all, mailroom safety is no different from safety in all aspects of the office. Making sure all procedures are followed and your employees are well educated will help to make your workplace run smoothly and reduce the risk of threat or danger.

Why a Safe Is Essential For Your Office


The business of office management can leave even the most calm executive frazzled. So many details to manage, so many employees to worry about, and deadlines to make, it can leave one in dereliction of some very basic procedures and security measures that should be done. One of these measures is the procurement of a safe for your office. Do not let this important security step go undone any longer. If it is something you have been meaning to do but have put off because of money issues, you should know that a safe does not have to cost a fortune in this day and age.

 

A Sentry Safe, for example, can be available for under a hundred dollars. Money is no excuse, especially SentrySafewhen it comes to something as important as this. If you haven’t been planning on buying a safe, and see little reason to have one in the office, perhaps the following information will change your mind.

 

Employee Theft

 

A survey of office employees recently put out by Harris Interactive stated that 58% of said employees have admitted to committing some kind of office theft in their lifetimes. Think about that statistic for a moment. Now, granted, the details of the survey revealed that the vast majority of these items were low cost, expendable items such as pens, pencils, staples, and stamps, but some of them went far beyond that.

 

A few of those surveyed admitted to stealing plants, and even paintings off the walls and the furniture itself! You have to consider that employees who would feel comfortable stealing even the smallest thing from the office (which, according to this survey, over half of your employees likely do) would have it within themselves to steal something valuable should the opportunity arise. It may never happen, but it’s better to be prepared and not need it, than to be caught unaware. A safe may be your best answer.

 

Robbery

 

Let’s face it–we live in dangerous times. No matter if your office is located in downtown New York City, or a sleepy burg in northern Montana, you have to have your guard up against potential crime. It could happen anytime, anywhere. If your valuable office items and cash are not locked up in a safe, they are just waiting to be stolen. Now, we’re not talking about someone coming into the office with a gun, obviously, because a safe won’t do you much good in that instance. No, we’re talking about after-hours robbery, where a thief slips in under cover of darkness. Maybe he even got an inside tip as to where the money or valuables were hidden. Whatever the case, he will find them, and they will be his, if you don’t take the time to purchase a safe and lock those items away.

 

Prying Eyes

 

Of course, one of the most practical reasons to get a safe is simply to keep your important papers and documents out of the hands of snooping employees. This isn’t related to theft or protection, but simply privacy. Your company undoubtedly has documents in a filing cabinet (probably unlocked) that has information you don’t need your employees seeing. Well, why take the chances of something being seen and then discussed among the employees? Put those documents away in a safe and give the combination only to those you trust and those who have clearance, so to speak, to view those documents.

 

Insurance

 

Simply put, insurance premiums are more likely to be low when you can prove that your valuable office items are hidden away in a good safe. Also, insurance companies are more likely to pay out a full sum if it can be shown that you took reasonable measures to protect those items.

 

Disaster Protection

 

Fireproof SafeFires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes. Depending on where you work, any of these could happen, and your important documents and office valuables could be lost forever. By purchasing a fire proof safe, you’ll protect yourself against this possible occurrence, and have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ve done all you can to keep those things safe. Disaster doesn’t give you a warning before it strikes, so consider this the warning. Buy a safe for your office, and you’ll be protected for certain.