Oct 2, 2007
Just How Secure IS Your HVTO Operation?
By Pete Basiliere
Two recent information security breaches – one involving 455,000 people and another involving 3,000 people – highlight the fact these events could occur in your operation. Moreover, the resultant publicity underscores the impact a breach of any size can have on you, your staff and your company.
I have been tracking print and mail security breaches going back to January 2006. In that time, nearly one million pieces of mail exposed confidential information due to either poor printing or mailing practices, with unpublicized incidents I am aware of pushing that number higher still. These incidents put people at risk of identity theft or misuse of confidential personal and business information
I have been involved with printing and direct mail operations and engineering management for thirty years. Early on, accurate production of mail campaigns was, shall we say, lax at best. That approach changed dramatically over the years.
Most recently, while responsible for a major, multinational insurance company’s printing and mailing operations producing 60 million pieces annually, my emphasis was on the accurate, error-free production of every job. Work would not move from the printer to the inserter, from the inserter to the sorter or the sorter to the USPS if machine counts did not reconcile with the file data. Every job had to be of the absolute highest quality. Confidential customer information was that important.
Data center managers appropriately focus their security efforts on preventing high-tech attacks on the IT infrastructure. The recent mail incidents, one involving the California Public Employees Retirement System and the other Tennessee Tech University, illustrate how poor process controls, human errors and equipment problems will leave your customers exposed to the theft or mistaken exposure of printed confidential information.
Yet, sound document design, document content management software, utilization of printers and inserters with intelligent scanning capabilities, and enforcement of quality and security assurance practices will prevent these breaches. Let these incidents be a reminder that you must regularly assess the security of your print and mail operations, for example:
· Document design – ensure confidential copy cannot appear in the address area or where it can be read by lifting the address window cut out
· Printing – properly track and dispose of damaged documents as well as any duplicates created during the reprint process
· Inserting – a “touch and toss” approach will help ensure defective pieces are not manually mixed up and sent to the wrong recipient
· Manual assembly – automate whenever possible while implementing strict quality assurance practices when small volumes or unique designs enable human error to creep into the assembly and mailing process
A number of HVTO software and hardware technology providers offer tools to implement these strategies for protecting information, including:
· Document content management
· Mailpiece and job tracking tools
· Printer, inserter and manual assembly output verification
· Job and sheet reconciliation, including spoiled materials
These Automated Document Factory (ADF) software and hardware tools, as well as regular employee training on quality assurance practices, must be a part of your document printing and inserting operation.
As an HVTO manager, work with your technology providers, staff and peers to develop strategies and implement the tools that mitigate the risk of confidential information loss from your print and mail operations. Without solid quality assurance practices or security software and hardware controls, an information security breach that leads to disastrous results may occur in your operation.
Join Pete at Gartner's Print & Imaging Summit
Dec. 2-4, 2007
It’s a whole new world for office and production printing. Those who forge ahead and gain new expertise in today’s breakthrough technologies will play a leading role in their organizations. Those who delay will be left behind.
In December 2007, the world-renowned Gartner print and imaging analyst team will show you how to gain a front-runner advantage. Together, you will explore the exciting convergence of new technologies and strategies that are radically transforming the once-staid print environment into leading-edge profit center.
Visit www.print-imagingsummit.com for details on how to attend or sponsor the Summit.
About Pete Basiliere
Pete Basiliere is Gartner’s research director for print markets and management, conducting research and providing insight on production print and mail systems and applications including best practices, market strategies and technology trends. Mr. Basiliere assists suppliers and end users with practical advice relating to Gartner's Automated Document Facility (ADF 2.0) and customer relationship management (CRM) printing concepts as well as production print and mail operations and security matters. He has spoken at numerous industry events including the On Demand Conference, the GATF Technology Alert Conference and Gartner’s Print and Imaging Summit.
Mr. Basiliere has 30 years of printing and direct mail experience in operations, engineering, customer service and purchasing management, having worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, NEBS, PVA-EPVA, John Harland Company and others. The National Association for Print Leadership (NAPL) published his two books: Diversifying with Mail and Fulfillment Services: Unlocking Hidden Profit Potential and Successful Print Buying: A Guide to the Cost-Effective Procurement of Printing.