Learn What is NAID Certification and Why is It Important
As a conscientious business, you take all the necessary steps to protect your physical and digital information. After all, with the continually magnifying thefts, hacks and cybercrimes, you cannot afford to lose confidential or sensitive data related to your business, customers or employees. Moreover, if your business is associated with the legal, healthcare, financial services or education industry, you may also have to comply with HIPAA, FACTA, Gramm Leach-Bliley or other industry-specific laws that protect consumer interests and privacy.
When it comes to disposal of paper or digital media, you want to ensure there is no lapse in information security protocols and you remain compliant with applicable regulatory requirements. While there may be several information destruction companies serving your locations, a NAID AAA certified company could be the difference between a good and great service provider.
At TITAN Mobile Shredding, we have held the NAID AAA certification for 13 consecutive years. In July 2007, when we got our first annual certification, we were the only mobile document destruction company in eastern Pennsylvania to earn this reputed accreditation. Read on to know more about NAID certification, and why it is an important consideration while choosing your data destruction partner.
NAID AAA Certification: Separating the Best from the Rest
National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) is the unifying trade association for the information destruction industry. It sets the standards for secure disposal of paper, digital media and hard drives. Some of the other critical functions of this organization include:
- Conducting research for process improvement in the area of secure information destruction.
- Upholding and protecting the privacy of consumers by setting strict guidelines for its member companies.
- Creating global recognition for the information destruction industry.
- Offering the AAA Certification, a meticulous and exhaustive process that evaluates whether the applicant companies comply with industry-based specifications and legislated requirements for information destruction.
The key thing to note is that NAID membership is different from NAID AAA certification. Any information destruction business can pay a subscription fee and become a paid member of the association. This allows them to use the NAID member logo on their stationery and promotions, as long as they respect the Code of Ethics and Bylaws of the association. However, a NAID AAA certification involves intense scrutiny in close to two dozen areas of operation. This includes:
- Presence of documented security standards and access control protocols
- Security and surveillance measures, while storing or transporting shredding material
- Particle size of shredded material
- Staff selection and training (extensive background checks to filter out individuals who have a past criminal record, as they may not be ideal candidates for managing a secure information destruction process).
A NAID AAA certification requires the applicant companies to:
- Adhere to the highest standards of integrity, security and compliance for irretrievable destruction of paper and electronic data.
- Commit to an annual evaluation by an ASIS-accredited, Certified Protection Professional (CPP). Basically, a CPP is an independent, unbiased, qualified auditor appointed by NAID.
- Perform well on comprehensive, surprise audits conducted from time to time, even after being certified.
With extensive annual evaluations and unannounced audits, NAID ensures that AAA certified companies do not slacken on their compliance measures at any time.
Partner with a NAID AAA Certified Professional Paper Shredding Company
For all your record destruction needs in and around eastern PA and NJ, rely on the data destruction professionals at TITAN Mobile Shredding. As a NAID AAA Certified company, we commit to the highest ethical and security standards during disposal of paper documents, hard drives and other digital media. The Certificates of Destruction that we issue for every shredded drive are admissible proofs of secure data destruction for internal, external or statutory audits, and in the court of law.
Have more questions about NAID AAA Certification? Need to know more about our physical or digital media shredding services? Speak to one of our certified destruction specialists at (866) 848-2699. You can also contact us online to request a free quote.
