Outsourcing a company’s document shredding ensures its documents will be destroyed safely and securely. It also ensures compliance with state and federal regulations. For many businesses, these regulations include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (familiarly known as HIPAA), the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Each of these laws include heavy fines and penalties to businesses that fail to document destruction policies.
Using a professional outsourced on-site shredding company helps businesses avoid repercussions of non-compliance. These shredding businesses will travel to an office, destroy the designated documents, and issue a Certificate of Destruction each time for the company to keep in its records as proof of compliance.
Old, out-of-date and unneeded business, personal and tax documents can be destroyed. Tax documents should be kept for at least seven years and digitally scanned for safe storage. After seven years, these documents can be destroyed to free up space in the filing system. On-site shredding companies are the safest option, helping with the security of sensitive information.
Businesses shredding their own documents poses a security risk as they are placing the shredded papers into their dumpster where potential thieves can access them. Just because paper is shredded doesn’t mean sensitive information cannot be found.
Use of a professional on-site shredding company ensures the documents are destroyed correctly and immediately sent to a recycling facility. And the on-site nature of the service is, itself, another element of security, as businesses can witness the process happening from beginning to end, keeping the chain of custody intact.
Joe and Patty Caradonna are owners of PROSHRED® Arizona, located in Tempe, Ariz., and experts in document shredding for businesses and individuals.
