I recently attended a presentation at the PRISM Conference and the  
discussion centered on how the Board of Directors of major  
corporations are reacting to new legislation that pierces the  
corporate veil and makes them personally liable for certain events  
with regard to safeguarding records and digital content, e-records, etc.

The icons of the American Corporate World are now putting pressure on  
Congress to modify current laws to ease their burden.  Wall Street   
recognizes that protecting corporate records is vital to a growing  
stock market so they are not supporting any relief on these laws that  
could destroy market confidence on the authenticity of corporate  
performance.

So the Board and C-Level officers are asking for guidance on what  
protection they must deliver, what is prudent behavior?  What  
troubles many executives is;  they are asking that those who expose  
them to danger also share in the risk exposure.  This obviously would  
scare the heck out of companies who cannot seem to control that which  
they manage.  Offsite storage companies that vault media will be  
called to higher levels of security and if they fail to deliver they  
share the expenses of their exposure of their clients' data loss.  
What exposure should be enacted on those who exposed the TJMAXX  
client base?  What about couriers who lose tapes?

Since no matter what happens the Board has the liability, the fear in  
the Board room is palpable.

Currently Congress is contemplating extending the sanctions on media  
records to paper documents.  So we have gone from paper documents  
being the record, to a period of time where legislators considered  
digital/erecords as the only record with liability to full circle  
where they now recognize losing paper documents is also a bad thing.   
Amazing!

NAID was really the first to recognize this and pursue and develop a  
full Certification for records in their care.  So many have adopted  
their Standard for shredding that it is now extending to other  
areas.  This is scaring those who fail to see any need for real  
security for records storage, records destruction and media storage.   
Boards of Directors are looking for some authentication as to what  
they can expect from their vendors.

As a Media Vault Manufacturer, we are seeing a huge step up in sales  
as executive management is either choosing a vendor who will secure  
their media or installing their own vaults.  Server Vaulting is also  
gaining in popularity.

All of this bodes well for the records manager as the Decision Makers  
are supporting good records management and security control.

ARMA's championing of the E-Storage Guideline and Vital Records  
Guideline position records managers in a favorable light.  This in  
concert with the continual pressure of new legislation make it a  
great time for records managers to be more vocal with legal and audit  
about your role in protecting the organization.

In a legal perspectives presentation, the Board of Directors surveyed  
felt that 80% of their companies are inadequate in their in-house  
controls of records. This is either the fear talking or corporate  
America has a real problem.  ARMA is not doing a good enough job in  
promoting what our organization is all about to these executives at  
this time of real interest.

Are any of you feeling the pressure from above about creating  
transparency for records control and more emphasis on security?  If  
so, what is management asking for?  Do any of you feel an increase in  
awareness of the value of good records management?




Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM





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