Identity theft is a growing problem in the United States and around the world. Data collection and storage is growing rapidly as a result, new regulations have been passed to protect consumers, medical patients, employees and businesses from the scourge of identity theft. We’ve all heard of the massive online data breaches at various retailers, banks and hospitals. Often overlooked by the media is the very real threat posed by improperly handling the destruction and disposal of paper-based information.
Scrap Paper from paper cutter
Businesses seeking to safely dispose of corporate data, consumer records, medical information and vital internal data are choosing to work with companies that specialize in the shredding and disposal of corporate records. Choosing the right company can make the process easy, painless, convenient and cost effective. Whether you’re looking to dispose of records to meet regulatory compliance, protect your data from corporate espionage, leaks or other damaging events, or simply cleaning house, you need to know your options in order to make an intelligent choice.
Benefits of Responsible Document Handling
Along with needing to meet compliance issues, proper document handling and disposal is a smart business decision. Consumers are often worried about their personal information and by implementing a secure process, you can offer them peace of mind when doing business with your company. Customer loyalty is built on trust. Being able to provide your clients with the knowledge and peace of mind that you properly handle documents will give you a business edge and translate into more sales.
There are many benefits of responsible document shredding including:
- Peace of mind for company owners, employees and customer
- Shredding and then recycling keeps paper out of landfills and moves your business towards sustainability
- Shredding of sensitive and personal data keeps a company compliant with state and federal laws in terms of handling sensitive personal information
- Shredding responsibly by working with a third party can save you the capital expense of not purchasing an expensive paper shredder
- Proper document handling offers customers and business owners a bond of trust, knowing that you are looking out for their welfare
- From an environmental standpoint shredding and recycling reduces deforestation for new paper products
- You gain the satisfaction of knowing you are doing your part to protect the environment as well as the personal lives of your customers. Companies that go the extra mile to protect their customers are often rewarded with loyalty and higher sales
Responsible document handling is more important then ever before. Recent privacy laws including HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and FACTA (the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act) makes your business responsible for protecting customer information.
The Mobile Shredding Solution
Hiring a professional company to destroy your sensitive documents offers some great benefits. Typically, you engage the services of a company to handle your document disposal needs. They then provide you with a set of secure containers into which employees can dispose of sensitive documents to be destroyed. There is no transportation of sensitive data involved because at a pre-determined date and time your shredding service provider will show up to your site with a mobile shredding equipment.
On-site Shredding is:
• Fast and Convenient – A truck will arrive to your location containing heavy duty machinery capable of handling thousands of pounds of documents per hour. The process is much faster than relying small personal shredders, and your sensitive data is stored in secure tamper proof containers prior to destruction.
• You Can Watch The Process – Putting the process into the hands of employees can open the door to human error. If information is left on a desk, or not properly destroyed it opens you up to breach or theft. On-site shredding allows you to watch the process as it happens without taking a lot of time out of your schedule. This firsthand verification is a key safety feature. Your documents never leave your location, so you can rest easier knowing the chain of custody is limited
• Your Documents Are Unrecoverable – A professional service will not only shred your documents into tiny pieces, as an extra security measure, it will be mixed with other shredded paper making it impossible to reconstruct. Typically the waste is then recycled so it’s not only a safe process it’s environmentally friendly. The company will also provide the documentation necessary to prove legal regulatory compliance.
Working with a professional mobile shredding service is a convenient, safe and cost effective process. Mobile shredding lessens the chain of custody by keeping documents in-house until they are destroyed. It offers you the ability to visually verify that your sensitive information has been properly destroyed and frees your staff to focus on mission critical, billable work. Mobile shredding is the fastest and easiest form of old document disposal available.
Choosing The Right Company
There is no “one-size-fits-all” shredding service. Your business needs are unique and you will need to vet any potential companies to make sure they can handle your job. Needs can vary widely depending on the volume of material you need to destroy, regulatory compliance needs, corporate security protocols and policies and many other factors.
Make sure to consider factors like employee compliance rates and the security and ease of movement of any containers you will receive prior to your shred day. Shredding documents on-site are being often the most convenient method for most companies and an extremely safe way for businesses to dispose of sensitive documents. Make sure to do your due diligence before choosing the best company to fit your unique needs.
Sources:
http://docuvaultdv.com/document-shredding-2/
http://docuvaultdv.com/commercial-shredding/