Debunking Misconceptions about Physical Data Destruction
No business is immune to the threats of identity theft. Whether it is through a data breach or dumpster diving, any confidential information falling into the wrong hands could have disastrous consequences. With ever-evolving hacking methods and ever-expanding privacy regulations, it has become imperative to strengthen the storage and destruction of your physical and digital records.
In this context, you may already be shredding sensitive business information, as well as records that contain the personally identifiable information (PII) of employees or customers. However, in order to adopt best practices for secure destruction of paper records, it is important to thwart certain misconceptions associated with shredding. The data destruction specialists at TITAN Mobile Shredding shed light on some common paper shredding myths.
Get Your Facts Right and Adopt Shredding Best Practices
Top 5 Paper Shredding Myths
Myth 1: Preserving Obsolete Documents is the Safer Bet: Barring a few specific documents, most business records do not need to be preserved permanently. You are better off shredding the records that are past their retention lifespan, as it allows you to free up and better utilize your valuable real estate. Moreover, destroying documents that reach their final disposition date could help prevent identity theft or other types of fraud that could put your business, or current and past employees and customers at risk.
Myth 2: Your Trash Has No Value to Outsiders: Dumpster diving is legal in the U.S., and your trash becomes public property once it is in your corporate dumpster. Thieves or fraudsters may sift through such piles, looking for financial records, personal data, trade secrets, or other sensitive information that they can sell on the black market for huge profits. Imagine the damage this would cause to your company’s profitability, credibility, and reputation! Prevent loss of business, expensive lawsuits and a negative brand image by hiring a professional shredding company. Enjoy peace of mind due to a secure chain of custody that protects your discarded documents, from shredding to subsequent recycling.
Myth 3: Your Business is Too Small to Use a Professional Shredding Service: Studies indicate that the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper per year, and for any average business, paper consumption grows by 22% each year. No matter how small or large your company, unless you have a 100% paperless office, you will always have several documents to shred. Consider implementing a formal shredding program and hire the services of data destruction professionals for safe disposal of your physical records. Our shredding services are available at competitive rates with customized plans that cater to your unique requirements and budget.
Myth 4: In-house shredding is cheaper, hence better: Investing in a few in-house shredders may not be a foolproof method of destroying documents securely. Despite buying the best machines or training and sensitizing your staff on safe destruction processes, you may have several obstacles during in-house shredding. Moreover, your employees will spend productive time in getting rid of paper, instead of focusing on their core tasks. You also have to invest in repairs and maintenance of the shredding machines, and address the risks related to document thefts or misplacement before, during and after the shredding process. Outsourcing your shredding requirements will help you save time and money, and better utilize your resources. Additionally, you can be sure of a secure chain of custody throughout the shredding lifecycle. Your staff simply needs to drop files, folder or papers directly in the secure bins provided by your shredding partner. In fact, you do not need to spend time in removing the paper clips, pins and staples as commercial-grade shredders accept these materials during shredding.
Myth 5: All shredding Companies are the Same: It’s Okay to Choose Any: Although most professional shredding companies provide high-end shredding facilities, only a few offer the level of service, accountability, and security that you experience with a NAID certified company. A member company goes through rigorous audits to maintain their certification, which means your business will remain compliant with the applicable regulations and industry laws. Finding the right shredding partner is key to meeting your privacy protection goals, along with safe disposal of your paper records.
TITAN Mobile Shredding’s secure on-site, and off-site paper shredding services cater to a wide range of industries and clients across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As a NAID AAA Certified company, our routine on-site services and annual purges meet the highest standards of secure disposal, along with cost-effective, tailor-made plans, and a custom-centric approach. In addition to extensive Liability Coverage, we go the extra mile to give you 100% coverage on professional liability.
Bust other document destruction or paper shredding myths and outsource your shredding requirements to TITAN Mobile Shredding. Call (866) 848-2699 or contact us online. Our knowledgeable and friendly data destruction professionals will be happy to customize a shredding plan that suits your business needs and budget.
