Document Destruction

In an attempt to stop identity and information theft, companies specializing in document destruction have become very popular. Studies show that most information is stolen from written documents rather than electronic information. Protecting yourself, your business and your clients is very important. Prevention is the best defense against theft and fraud. It is imperative that all media that contains information be destroyed when it is no longer in use. Data destruction is made to be very convenient by hiring a company to do it for you.

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By hiring out your document destruction needs, you will eliminate the man-hours that it takes to shred documents and other media in-house with small shredders. The mess associated with the shredding is also eliminated. Shredding companies provide locked bins in which you place your items that need to be destroyed. They will then come on a regular basis to empty the bin. They provide on-site document destruction by using trucks that are equipped with powerful shredders. The full bins are taken to the truck and placed into the secure shredders. Within 10 minutes, documents are destroyed that would have taken an individual about 5 hours to destroy using a small office shredder. After the documents are destroyed, you are presented with a certificate of destruction, ensuring that your information was successfully destroyed. Many companies also will allow a member of your office to go and witness the destruction of the documents.

Offices that deal with medical records have a different set of standards set by the federal government through the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act). HIPAA requires that medical records that have surpassed the mandatory storage time be destroyed by shredding. Shredding companies know and follow the HIPAA data destruction guidelines that have been set up to protect medical records privacy. Also, any documentation that contains any personal, medical or insurance information is shredded when no longer needed. Document destruction companies ensure secure and complete destruction of medical records.

The shredded waste is then taken to recycling centers. Recycling one ton of paper will save seventeen trees and 7,000 gallons of water. By employing these companies, not only are you protecting your company's information and that of your clients, you are helping to protect the environment.

When looking to hire a shredding company, be sure to check out some information about the company. First, check out the screening process they put their employees through. Do they do a background check and random drug tests? Check how long they have been in business. Are there any complaints against them? Find out what type of shredder they use. Cross cutting shredders turn your documents into confetti; spaghetti shredders cut into long strips that are able to be reassembled and not as secure.

Preventing information and identity theft is a difficult task. When businesses work with shredding companies, this task becomes easier. Companies that deal with document destruction help to insure your business information, your client's information and your personal information doesn't get into the wrong hands.