For many years, one of the most important topics in the global economy has been data security. News headlines regularly mention it, whether in the context of a new system that promises to make information more secure or a major breach suffered by a company that handles hundreds of thousands of customers’ personal information.

While the general public is aware that there are threats to their personal information out there, they tend to assume that the organizations they trust with that information are adequately protecting themselves against data security breaches, both in the form of accidental exposure and deliberate hacking by malicious actors. A negative event related to data security erodes that trust and can quickly lead to devastating loss of business.

Industries That Need to Prioritize Data Security in 2026

While any organization that maintains mailing lists, account information, or medical details for patients/customers needs to prioritize data security, there are some fields in which it is an absolute non-negotiable.

• Healthcare. In addition to handling personal information for patients, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other medical organizations keep records and communicate with patients concerning their medical information. This information is regulated by HIPAA guidelines, so any service provider that assists with print and mailing projects must also adhere to HIPAA privacy requirements.
• Financial and insurance. Account numbers for banking and insurance policies are prime targets for hackers looking to execute identity theft. When these organizations communicate with members concerning financial or insurance matters, their information needs to be protected until the piece of mail in question arrives in the recipient’s mailbox.

Threats to Data Security

Potential lapses in data security fall into two categories: accidental exposure of private information and the deliberate theft of information through hacking or other means. 

• Accidental exposure. You may have received a data breach notification letter from a large company explaining that a failure in security allowed your personal information to be exposed for a limited period of time. In such cases, there may be no evidence yet that a malicious actor viewed or recorded your personal information, but the possibility exists. Often in these cases, the company offers free credit monitoring for a period of time so that any suspicious activity can be quickly identified and dealt with.
• Deliberate theft. Although many attacks are conducted online, physical theft of mail, printed lists of addresses, and computer equipment are also common ways that criminals obtain personal information. Organizations that use personal information must invest in both digital data security measures, such as firewalls and advanced malware detection, and physical security measures. A good example of this is the pressure seal mailer, which prevents information inside a piece of mail from being visible while it is in transit to the recipient.

Keeping Data Secure With Spectra

Spectra is proud to offer its clients powerful data security during print and mailing operations. We regularly work with insurance providers, financial services, healthcare organizations, and state and federal agencies to help them print and mail official communications. There are many points in this process at which personal information could be vulnerable, and Spectra follows industry best practices to ensure that information is not accidentally exposed or stolen by criminal entities. 

SOC 2 Type II Certification

The most important feature to look for when considering whether a print partner is capable of protecting your data is SOC 2 certification. Spectra is proud to maintain SOC 2 Type II certification, which differs from Type I in that it reflects periodic ongoing audits. Independent inspectors regularly take a close look at Spectra’s operations and search for any weak points that could allow a breach to occur. 

One good example of the actions taken during SOC 2 audits is a penetration test. In Spectra’s most recent audit, agents conducted tests to simulate the attacks that a malicious hacker would use to attempt to bypass Spectra’s network firewall and gain access to the information stored on the company’s servers. The test also includes searching the Internet for any publicly available email addresses, social media profiles, and other sources that could display information related to Spectra employees. This information could be manipulated by expert hackers and used to penetrate the company. Spectra passed its most recent penetration test with flying colors, giving clients additional peace of mind that the company is continuing to uphold high standards when it comes to data security.

Security Printing

Some types of communications need to be protected against illegal duplication. Spectra has a number of methods at its disposal to ensure that original documents can’t be copied. These types of security printing include barcodes and serial numbers printed on documents. A fraudulent document created to look like the real thing will not include the correct barcode or serial number and can be identified as a fake.

Partner With Spectra For Data Security

If your organization has suffered a data security breach, you are already well aware of the importance that these measures have for trust between you and your members or customers. However, even if you have escaped a security breach so far, that is not necessarily an indicator that you are adequately protected against such an event. 

Working with Spectra for your print needs is a great way to not only get beautiful, high quality printed materials into the hands of your audience, but also to do so in a way that protects their data from the beginning to the end of the process. You can learn more about Spectra’s SOC 2 Type II certification, HIPAA compliance, and other data security topics on our company’s website.