Firm Clean Desk Policy
In today's technology world, almost every company uses computers, but there's still plenty of papers to sift through on your desk. Here's a sample of a Clean Desk policy which can be used in your organization.
1. Clean Desk Policy Overview
a. The purpose for this policy is to establish a culture of security and trust for all employees at (firm). An effective clean desk effort involving the participation and support of all (firm) employees can greatly protect paper documents that contain sensitive information about our clients, customers and vendors. All employees should familiarize themselves with the guidelines of this policy.
2. Clean Desk Policy Purpose
a. The main reasons for a clean desk policy are:
i. A clean desk can produce a positive image when our customers visit the firm.
ii. It reduces the threat of a security incident as confidential information will be locked away when unattended.
iii. Sensitive documents left in the open can be stolen by a malicious entity.
3. Clean Desk Policy Responsibility
a. All staff, employees and entities working on behalf of are subject to this policy.
4. Clean Desk Policy Scope
a. At known extended periods away from your desk, such as a lunch break, sensitive working papers are expected to be placed in locked drawers.
b. At the end of the working day the employee is expected to tidy their desk and to put away all office papers. (Firm) provides locking desks and filing cabinets for this purpose.
5. Clean Desk Policy Action
a. Allocate time in your calendar to clear away your paperwork.
b. Always clear your workspace before leaving for longer periods of time.
c. If in doubt - throw it out. If you are unsure of whether a duplicate piece of sensitive documentation should be kept - it will probably be better to place it in the shred bin.
d. Consider scanning paper items and filing them electronically in your workstation.
e. Use the recycling bins for sensitive documents when they are no longer needed.
f. Lock your desk and filing cabinets at the end of the day.
g. Lock away portable computing devices such as laptops or PDA devices.
h. Treat mass storage devices such as CDROM, DVD or USB drives as sensitive and secure them in a locked drawer.
6. Clean Desk Policy Enforcement
a. Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Scott Greene, Evidence Solutions, Inc.
For over 30 years, Scott Greene has been helping companies meet the challenges of the swiftly evolving computer technology industry.
Directly from high school, Scott went to work for IBM. Scott studied Systems Engineering at the University of Arizona. He has since earned certifications in many products and programming languages.
The Evidence Solutions team analyzes data from Computers, Cell Phones, Black Boxes, Dispatch Systems, Medical Records, Email systems and more. Scott then explains the digital evidence in plain English.
Scott’s extensive knowledge draws clients to him from all over the United States as well as Internationally for consulting, Forensics and expert witness services. His extensive and diverse experience allows him to be an expert in many facets of digital and electronic evidence. Scott, a sought after speaker and educator, travels throughout the country sharing his knowledge and presenting to local, regional, national and International organizations.
Copyright Evidence Solutions, Inc.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer.For specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.
