News

A single source of truth is a single point of access and modification for a data element. It requires that all access is for the same copy of data. In records management, it comes down to structuring and modelling the system so that every data element, in this case records, is stored exactly once. Single source of truth is a practice and strategy that helps to ensure that data is reliable, accurate and secured. Recently, public sector directed news site,  The Mandarin , talked about the Government’s move to a digital-first footing and the opportunity digital transformation poses for busin...

With the passing of the Notifiable Data Breaches Bill, all entities will need to now report data breaches to the Australian Information Commissioner. The essential goal of this mandatory reporting legislation is to avoid data breaches and to mitigate and limit the negative impacts when data is lost or stolen. While the laws will give  Australia some of the strictest disclosure rules in the world , this new legislation only covers Australian Government agencies and private organisations with an annual turnover of more than $3 million, the same threshold as the Australian Privacy Act introd...

In February this year, the Australian Senate passed a bill establishing a mandatory requirement to notify the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals of ‘eligible’ data breaches. The Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2016, amends Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 and is slated to take effect on February 22, 2018 if no earlier date is proclaimed. The new Notifiable Data Breach Bill covers most Australian Government departments and agencies – except for intelligence agencies, as well as all private sector and not-for-profit organisations with annual revenue of AU$3 million (US$2....

Records management and storage were once just about managing records and tracking boxes; however, digitisation has increased and with it the real threat of security breaches. IBM’s 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index highlighted that there has been a shift in online targets of record theft, essentially away from credit cards and toward health-related data. Health records are a key target for identity theft, and a fully populated medical record is a more lucrative grab than credit card data. Credit card data, on average sells for as little as $1 whereas according to Rich Ferguson, country ma...

Compu-Stor was recently honoured to be the focus of a feature article in Business News WA Nov-Dec 2016 edition. The article looks back at the history of Compu-Stor while looking forward to new products and services. Excerpt from the article  –   Compu-stor moves with the times Business News December 2016 The Compu-stor business has changed substantially since it was established, and is continuing to evolve. The core business was physical document storage, and added to that have been services such as document destruction and pallet storage. The biggest change has been the move to digi...

The prominent rise of hackers accessing large corporate data sources has created a completely different landscape for the Data-breaches data security industry. In response to this, the Federal Government has released an exposure draft of new mandatory data breach notification laws that will form part of the Privacy Amendment (Notification of Serious Data Breaches) Bill 2015. Originally earmarked to be implemented in the first half of 2016, these new laws are still in review however will mandate that any business, corporation, or government organisation must report the ...

The rapidly evolving technology space presents unique and complex challenges for records mangers and the organisation of digital records. To address the rise of digital content, our increasing reliance on it and how it changes the way we manage our records, Compu-Stor has recently created a new Head of Digital role. Stephen Wellington has joined Compu-Stor as Head of Digital. Stephen brings to Compu-Stor decades of experience in digital and the records management field driving operational efficiencies through digital technology and designing large scale transformation projects that deliver rea...

When professional practices say they are “digitising” their records these days, what many of them mean is that they are just scanning their documents as PDFs. But this isn’t a robust records management solution. Why? Scanned PDFs do not inherently provide information management capabilities like search, sort and others. A real records management solution provides: meaningful ways to search data meaningful ways for professional practices to analyse data analysis of information trends general information on clients All these benefits were previously unavailable with paper-based records (or ...

Heads up, business owners: the smaller guys in records management are being swallowed up by the big fish. So, what does this mean for you, and for the safety and integrity of your important records? As you know, secure document storage is becoming an increasing challenge for businesses. We only need to look at the frequency of information management and accountability problems reported in the news to know that secure record management is more important than ever. The Compu-Stor Difference Compu-Stor is proudly an 100% Australian owned and operated family business specialising in information ma...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently released new International Standards for record management. The need for the updated ISO is to address the rise of digital content and our increasing reliance on it and how it changes the way we manage our records. As an industry leader in developing record management solutions for a wide range of corporations across different industry sectors, Compu-Stor actively ensure our systems are designed to ensure records are made and kept properly, resulting in a range of business-enhancing benefits. What is ISO? ISO 15489-1:2016 define...

Secure information management is a growing challenge for businesses in the digital age. The recent concerns raised about telecommunications giant Telstra  holding our healthcare records  highlights negative public sentiment surrounding offshore data holding. It has reminded people again of the real, significant privacy and security issues associated with offshore data storage, including accidental exposure of ultra-personal data. This has prompted us to highlight three main reasons to use a local information management company, and how that can help ensure the integrity of sensitive ...

Big data is one of the most hyped terms on the market today. It’s one of the most popular search terms by CIOs and other IT professionals. However, innovation, cultural change, analytical mindset and new skills are required to be proficient at leveraging it. Digital transformation is all about the transitioning of static document processes to a digital format, for use within internal systems to streamline and improve business processes. By digitising paper based workflows, businesses and companies can improve processes and efficiencies. Digital Transformation Solutions is a new division of Com...

1 in 200 people are homeless on any given night. Every year,  Vinnies Australia  host the  Vinnies CEO Sleepout . One of the company directors, Jeremy, has been supporting the CEO Sleepout for seven years and has raised $34,971 for the organisation to date. Jeremy will be participating again this year on the 23rd of June with the aim to take that total to over $40,000. Help us make a difference by making a donation today to  Jeremy’s CEO Sleepout  or  YGAP . All donations will go towards providing crucial assistance to people experiencing homelessness. Compu-Stor ...

Regardless of what type of business you are in, there will always be a level of obligation in relation to records management and compliance. These often mandatory requirements are in place essentially to ensure the privacy and security of everyone’s data and information as well as the lawful operation of every enterprise. So how can we be sure that we are keeping up with the standards expected of our records and information management systems? And sometimes the question should be more related to the systems themselves that help facilitate these compliance requirements. The efficient and compre...

Last month, medical files were allegedly stolen from a Melbourne GP clinic and dumped in a park, exposing people’s most intimate personal medical history. The medical practice acknowledged that the breach happened while the staff were preparing to move the practice to a new location and the files were waiting to be picked up for destruction, but for those patients with their medical details exposed, is this enough of an excuse? Victoria’s Acting Health Services Commissioner Dorota Siarkiewicz said of the breach, “health services are obliged to comply with the Health Records Act 2001 which deta...

Currently, there are around 80 Acts at both the State and Federal level which regulate document retention and destruction. The various regimes are not codified, some are industry specific and some are catch-all legislation. Privacy has become a top business priority for organisations all over the globe as new and expanding compliance regulations push for improved consumer data protection. At the same time, legislation is becoming stricter and safe record storage and destruction requirements are becoming increasingly stringent. The responsibility is on Australian businesses to remain on top of ...

There is no doubt about the importance of properly storing vital business information and documents, but one of the keys to storage is the easy retrieval of information in a time critical manner. In fact,  research and surveys have shown  that thirty percent of the workday is spent searching for files. That’s one and a half days a week or 78 workdays every year spent looking for paper around the office! If boxes have been stored with no system in mind, and little to no cataloguing or indexing, locating the right document can be a frustrating and time-consuming exercise, and waste val...

There are some rules regarding document storage that are wise to adhere to; and in business these rules can result in the make or break of your venture. So when it comes to  document storage , what are some of the rules your business can’t afford to ignore? 1) Commit to your process entirely.  Document storage is only effective if it is comprehensive. Half-hearted adherence to information management processes at a procedural level can spell doom for even the best-laid intentions. By fully committing to the ethos and process that is required by your chosen document storage strate...

In Back to the Future Part II, hero Marty McFly travels from his present-day 1985 to 30 years in the future – October 21, 2015 – to prevent his children from making decisions that would jeopardise his family. While in the future, 3D movies and fingerprint technology were correctly predicted in the film, things like the self-tying trainers and hover boards are not quite there yet. It can be impossible to look into the future and see what new technologies will impact our lives in such dramatic ways. Think of the rise of the smart phone, apps that can track virtually every step of your life, a ba...

If you’ve ever spent too long hunting through stacks of paper for an invoice or searching through paper files, you may have wished for a paperless office. You wouldn’t be alone. In fact, research and surveys have shown that thirty percent of the workday is spent searching for files.[1] That’s one and a half days a week or 78 workdays every year spent looking for paper around the office! As soon as computers began making an impact on business communications and work practices, the idea of paperless office become the buzzword. But despite all the time that’s passed since the introduction of the ...