Dana Flavelle reports that private investigators hired by an association of secure document disposal companies found lots of personal information in dumpsters in the Greater Toronto area. Doctors offices and car dealers got an unwanted shout-out in their findings.
Most organizations, especially large banks and hospitals, are doing a good job of disposing of sensitive data properly, the study for the National Association of Information Destruction – Canada found.
Only 7 of the 50 dumpsters investigated outside various offices, including lawyers, accountants, mortgage brokers and employment agencies, contained personal documents, the study found.
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Investigators found 3 out of four doctors’ offices investigated had put personal data in their dumpsters, including people’s names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, health card numbers, medical test results and prescriptions.
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At one of three extended health care facilities investigated, the dumpster contained personal information on “hundreds” of residents, the study found.
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Both of the car dumpsters investigated contained “numerous” client files in unsecured garbage bins, the study found. The data included names, dates of birth and drivers’ license information.
Read more in the Toronto Star.