7 Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner. Guide to Faxing: Preventing Breaches with Safeguards and Responding to a Privacy Breach. 5 Feb. 2026. • Place your fax machine in an area of the office that prevents unauthorized individuals from viewing/retrieving faxes. Control who has access to the machine. • If you give up a fax number, it can eventually be reassigned to another individual or company. If you do not want the number to be used while you advise clients that the organization is moving or closing, check with your telephone provider about renting the number for an interim period. This will allow time to contact all clients and to update them. • Fax machines (including multi-function devices) have hard drives and/or memory that store and retain data. When disposing of, returning at the end of a lease or selling a fax machine, properly scrub the hard drive to remove all stored information or securely destroy as appropriate depending on sensitivity of information.5 • Pre-program only fax numbers that are commonly used and be sure to check those numbers regularly to ensure they are accurate and current. • If you move or if your fax number is changed, immediately provide your contacts with your updated fax number, and update all directories and websites that include the previous number. Destroy pre-printed forms, fax cover sheets, and correspondence that refer to your previous number, including letterhead, business cards, prescription forms, etc. When OIPC Will Investigate a Privacy Breach OIPC has a legislated mandate to investigate privacy breaches and ensure they are properly managed. OIPC can learn of a privacy breach and begin an investigation in several ways, including: • From a citizen whose information has been breached by a public body or trustee. • By a third party who receives a misdirected fax. • From media alerts or announcements. • From the public body or trustee (proactively reported). If You are an Unintended Recipient At times, an individual or organization may receive a fax that is not intended for them. 5 See resources: Sanitization and Disposal of Electronic Devices; How to Prepare your Device - Recycle My Electronics Saskatchewan, Disposing of Your Electronic Media | Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
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