Cansford further proves commitment to protecting sensitive data

Leading UK provider of drug and alcohol testing services Cansford Laboratories has achieved ISO 27001, reaffirming its commitment to information security.

Cansford Laboratories’ drug and alcohol testing work sees the business handle highly sensitive and personal client information. Achieving ISO 27001 highlights its dedication to safeguarding this data and protecting its confidentiality, integrity, and availability, giving further assurance to clients that it is maintaining the highest levels of data security.

Kirsty Card, quality manager at Cansford Laboratories, says:

“Due to the nature of our work – where even the fact that an individual has been asked to take a drug test can have a huge impact on their life if the information gets into the wrong hands – we have an immense responsibility to safeguard data and uphold the confidentiality of the individuals taking tests. From the moment we receive a test enquiry, through to sample collection, processing and reporting, we take every measure we can to ensure data security and this standard proves this.

ISO 27001 is one of several measures we take to keep information secure in order to demonstrate to clients we are reliable and trustworthy. While this accreditation isn’t an industry requirement, as a leading drug and alcohol testing laboratory we believe all laboratories should abide by these standards to ensure continuous data protection across the board.”

Andy Jones, Cansford Laboratories’ IT director, says:

“Data breaches are becoming increasingly common in this digital era. Whilst GDPR as well as email encryption goes some way to protect data, establishing a certified and consistent compliance system is a necessary step for us in order to protect our clients. Every area of our business has been scrutinised from an information security perspective and, while we already had many of the key requirements of the standard in place, going through the process annually will support us in maintaining high standards.”

This latest achievement adds to Cansford Laboratories’ existing standards credentials. The company first became UKAS accredited in September 2012 and is currently accredited for the widest range of drugs tested in-house in the UK. It has met ISO 9001 Quality, ISO 45001 Health & Safety and ISO 14001 Environmental standards in addition to the updated standards set by the LAB51 Publication to UKAS ISO 17025: 2017 for laboratories performing analysis of toxicology samples in the UK.