As notary signing agents we are entrusted with a lot of confidential information. It's up to us to do everything we can to safeguard it. It's a huge responsibility.
I take a lot of measures, such as maintaining the loan documents on an external hard drive. If my laptop were ever stolen, or if my computer had to be repaired, the only data on it would be system files. And I do a lot to keep my computer secure, such as passwords, firewalls, etc. Any paper documents that need to be destroyed are of course shredded.
There's something else that I do that I consider just as important. It all starts with the very first thing that is signed: my notary journal. Here is what a page looks like:
All of the information from any previous signers is completely covered. I use several sticky 3x5 cards. It takes just a moment to move them down so that the entire page can be covered. Hopefully it gives them some peace of mind, knowing that the notary signing agent is taking that measure to protect their privacy.
And it should send a signal that the protection of their confidential information doesn't stop there.
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I laughed when I read about the sticky notes in your journal! I do the same thing! I've had people come right out and ask WHY I had the sticky notes on the page, so after adding thier info to the journal and having them sign, I showed them WHY I cover their private info, so the next person can't see it. We keep some very confidential info in our journals and that info MUST be guarded at all times! I have a brother that has a photographic memory, all he has to do is basically glance at something and he can tell you every detail. How many people out there have that same ability in some form? That's what made me decide to use the sticky notes.