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Secure Mail Handling Among the Top Defenses Needed to Make Employees Feel Safer at Work
- Simple Procedures Go a Long Way to Increase Security -
For companies looking to create an increased sense of office security, workers feel their employers need to start by focusing on the mail center, according to a recent workplace survey commissioned by Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI). More than half of those surveyed indicated that increased training on secure mail handling would make them feel safer at work and 49 percent want more secure mail facilities. In addition, 45 percent of the respondents felt that having more experienced mail center employees is essential for creating a secure environment."Traditionally, not enough attention has been paid to the corporate mail center," stated Sheryl Battles, vice president, External Affairs, Pitney Bowes. "Smart companies realize that the mail center is the information portal through which all of a company's communications, information and mission critical transactions flow. It is important that companies consider security when they are engineering the flow of their communications. While companies invest heavily on software to protect their computer systems and data, they should also invest in processes and technology to enhance the security of the integrated mail, package and document stream."
In fact, the survey found that compared to mail security, more traditional workplace security procedures were less important to respondents. Fewer than two percent of respondents said that having more armed security officers at work would increase their sense of security and less than one percent indicated that having more surveillance equipment at work would give them a better sense of well-being. The survey also found that 62 percent of respondents want more information and communication about office procedures. Pitney Bowes is offering information and simple measures on its Web site that can help increase security. These include:
* Never accept mail or package deliveries from an unknown person who
cannot provide proper identification and be alert of any packages left
unattended.
* Train and re-train mail center employees on screening procedures and
have a clear and defined communication and disaster plan in place
(33 percent of survey respondents indicated that their offices have
already put these precautions in place since last year's anthrax
scare).
* Red flag mail pieces that have poorly mistyped or incorrect addresses;
packages that have oily stains, strange odors, or that display evidence
of wire or foil (47 percent of those surveyed said that these
procedures are already in position at their workplaces).
* Use computerized tools that can track, trace and create an audit trail
for each package and mail piece (21 percent of respondents said their
offices updated their mailing equipment and 11 percent said that their
companies acquired new equipment).
* Use of metered mail is inherently secure. The meter indicia serves as a
fingerprint and can be easily traced to the sender (43 percent of
workers surveyed use a mail meter and 27 percent use the meter indicia
to verify the sender).
"Industry leaders have long recognized that there is no single solution that can
protect against all perceived threats that may come through the mail," says
Battles. "However, through an increased focus on people, processes and
technology, businesses can create a more rigorous mail screening and handling
environment."
From a geographical standpoint, the survey found that workers in the Northeast have adopted security precautions at a higher rate than their counterparts in other regions of the country. Where 49 percent of respondents in the Northeast verify return addresses, only 31 percent of those in the West indicated they do the same. Also, more than 57 percent of respondents from the Northeast examine the condition of an incoming envelope, compared to 42 percent in the West.
In order to meet the demand for more information and communication, Pitney Bowes has developed a dedicated Web site and free booklet, "Mail Security: The Pitney Bowes Executive Advisor" available at http://www.security.pb.com . Pitney Bowes is a $4.1 billion global provider of integrated mail and document management solutions headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The company serves over 2 million businesses of all sizes through dealer and direct operations.
Contact:
Christopher Tessier
Manager, Public Relations
203-351-7210
Christopher.Tessier@pb.com
Allison Szeliga
Ketchum Public Relations
646-935-4161
allison.szeliga@ketchum.com
SOURCE Pitney Bowes
CONTACT: Christopher Tessier, Manager, Public Relations of Pitney Bowes,
+1-203-351-7210, Christopher.Tessier@pb.com; or Allison Szeliga of Ketchum
Public Relations, +1-646-935-4161, allison.szeliga@ketchum.com, for Pitney
Bowes
URL: http://www.pitneybowes.com
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