Document shredding is commonplace in most businesses. Who destroys your documents? Do you shred everything in house or do you outsource your shredding? In this blog, we compare both options to help you make an informed decision about how to protect your confidential information.

Efficiency

In-house shredding programs put the responsibility of shredding on employees, who have to push aside core, revenue-generating tasks to shred documents. Destroying a file with an office shredder takes several minutes. Staples and paperclips must be removed so the shredder doesn’t jam. Large files must be separated into small, easy-to-shred portions. And the shredding receptacle must be emptied frequently.
Outsourced shredding eliminates this time-intensive process. Your shredding company provides secure locked collection containers. Whole files with staples and paperclips can be deposited into the collection containers in a matter of seconds. Your documents are securely stowed until your shredding company picks them up for destruction. If you want to maximize your company’s productivity and profits, outsourced shredding is the clear choice.

Security

Inefficient in-house shredding processes compromise the privacy of your information. Busy employees with multiple responsibilities are less likely to shred sensitive documents in a timely manner, and every sheet of paper that goes into the trash can or recycling bin is a potential source of liability for your business.
Outsourced shredding minimizes document disposal risks and errors. Your collection containers are locked and emptied under the close supervision of a professional shredding technician. Certified, insured professionals wearing photo IDs follow strict chain of custody protocols while collecting and destroying your information. Your confidential documents are destroyed right on your premises with state-of-the art mobile shredding trucks.

Cost

In-house shredding expenses add up. Office shredders must be purchased and often need to be repaired. As with any electrical device, their use increases your energy consumption costs. But most importantly, every minute your employees spend shredding means one less minute for revenue-generating activities. Shredding cost per hour drops dramatically when you stop paying your employees to shred and let the professionals handle it instead.

Compliance

Complying with state and federal privacy regulations is a must. HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA require organizations to have written and verifiable information destruction procedures.
Outsourced shredding offers better regulatory compliance than in-house shredding. A Certificate of Destruction is issued each time your documents are shredded. It notes the time, date and method of destruction, verifying your business’ compliance with state and federal privacy laws.
Land Shark Shredding offers NAID AAA Certified shredding and destruction services in Bowling Green and throughout southwest Kentucky. For more information, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.

Today, identity theft and business fraud crime rates are at an all-time high. That’s why it’s important to partner with a shredding and destruction provider who takes the security of your information seriously. Before hiring a shredding and destruction provider, ask these seven important questions:

1. Are you NAID AAA Certified?

The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) is the international, non-profit trade association for companies providing information destruction services. NAID’s mission is to educate businesses, industry and government entities about the importance of destroying discarded information, promote the value of contract destruction services, and to promote the standards and ethics of its member companies.

To earn AAA Certification, a shredding and destruction provider must be audited by an independent Certified Protection Professional® (CPP) who is accredited by the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) International. The following areas are assessed during a AAA Certification audit:

• Operational and facility security
• Information destruction processes
• Employee hiring practices

NAID AAA Certified member companies must maintain a minimum amount of general liability insurance (umbrella or aggregate) of $2,000,000. They are also audited regularly to verify their ongoing compliance with NAID standards. Choosing a NAID AAA Certified shredding and destruction provider ensures unparalleled privacy protection for your information.

2. How are my documents destroyed?

Before choosing a shredding and destruction provider, ask about their document destruction processes. For recurring scheduled shredding service, security containers should be strategically placed throughout your facility, allowing sensitive documents to be discarded fast and securely. For one-time purges, you should have the option of having security containers delivered in advance.

The contents of the containers should be collected by a trained professional for on-site shredding at your facility. After your shredding project is completed, you should receive a Certificate of Destruction for your compliance records.

3. Do you destroy media? If so, what kind?

Every privacy protection plan should include a final disposition solution for expired and unwanted computer media. Partner with a shredding and destruction company who offers a turnkey solution for both your paper records and electronic/magnetic media, including:

• Hard drives
• Flash drives
• Zip disks
• Magnetic backup tapes
• CDs, Blu-rays, and DVDs
• Credit cards and other magnetic-stripe cards
• VHS and cassette tapes
• Floppy disks
• Optical disk drives

4. Do you destroy other items besides documents and media?

If your company produces merchandise, prototypes, or other branded, proprietary, or legally-regulated products, make sure they’re responsibly destroyed. A shredding and destruction partner who offers product destruction ensures your intellectual property and trade secrets are securely destroyed so your company stays compliant with laws and regulations.

5. What is your employee screening process?

Only certified, insured, uniformed and badged professionals should collect and destroy your confidential information. Make sure your shredding and destruction provider conducts rigorous background checks on its employees so you know only the most qualified people have access to your company’s sensitive information.

6. Do you offer on-site or off-site shredding?

Many shredding and destruction companies transport your documents and data offsite for destruction. But on the way from your business to the shredding facility, anything can happen to your information.

On-site shredding eliminates potential theft and unauthorized access to your documents and data. Choose a shredding and destruction partner who destroys your information on-site at your facility with mobile destruction trucks equipped with video verification systems.

7. Is my paper and e-waste recycled?

Besides safeguarding your information, a shredding and destruction service should incorporate green recycling practices. Make sure your shredding and destruction provider partners with a local recycling company who recycles your paper and disposes of your e-waste in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Remember to ask these seven essential questions when choosing a shredding and destruction provider for your business.

Land Shark Shredding offers NAID AAA Certified shredding and destruction services in Bowling Green and throughout southwest Kentucky. For more information, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.

Don Gerard and his team at Land Shark Shredding, headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, are so much more than shredders. A more accurate description for Gerard and his capable team would be to call them professional security experts. And they take their jobs very seriously.

“We are not folks who ‘just shred’ stuff,” he said. “I mean technically, yes, we do shred stuff, but there is a lot more to what we do than just shredding. We are not a shredding company. We are a security company that happens to also shred paper.”

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Any company can destroy documents and data, but not all shredding and destruction providers adhere to the same ethics and standards. In this blog, we discuss what NAID AAA Certification is and why it’s important when choosing a shredding and destruction provider.

What Is NAID?

The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) is the international, non-profit trade association for companies providing information destruction services. NAID’s mission is to educate businesses, industry and government entities about the importance of destroying discarded information, promote the value of contract destruction services, and promote the standards and ethics of its member companies.

What is NAID AAA Certification?

NAID AAA Certification is a voluntary certification that shredding and destruction service providers can earn. To earn AAA Certification, a shredding and destruction provider must be audited by an independent Certified Protection Professional® (CPP) who is accredited by the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) International. The following areas are assessed during a AAA Certification audit:

• Operational and facility security
• Information destruction processes
• Employee hiring practices

NAID AAA Certified member companies must maintain a minimum amount of general liability insurance (umbrella or aggregate) of $2,000,000. They are also audited regularly to verify their ongoing compliance with NAID standards.

Security

Because strict auditing processes are required to achieve and keep their certification, AAA Certified shredding and destruction providers implement stringent security measures. Rigorous background checks are performed on all personnel. Secure collection containers are used to collect your confidential information. Whether you choose a one-time shredding service or a scheduled shredding solution, your information is handled and destroyed within a strict chain of custody.

Regulatory Compliance

A NAID AAA Certified mobile shredding and destruction provider does more than just destroy your documents and media. They help your company comply with state and federal privacy regulations, including the following:

• The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA)
• The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

These laws mandate that companies who handle personally identifiable information (PII) have written and verifiable information destruction procedures.

A NAID AAA Certified mobile shredding and destruction provider helps your business meet these requirements by destroying your information onsite. Video verification systems allow you can watch the secure shredding process from start to finish. When your destruction project is complete, you receive a Certificate of Destruction.

NAID AAA Certification is the gold standard for information destruction companies. Make sure your next shredding and destruction provider is NAID AAA Certified.

Land Shark Shredding offers NAID AAA Certified on-site mobile destruction services in Bowling Green and throughout southwest Kentucky. For more information, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.

Autumn is here, and Halloween is just around the corner, but did you know October is also National Cybersecurity Awareness Month? It’s a great opportunity to review your data security practices. In this blog, we’re helping you get started with five cybersecurity tips:

1. Protect Your Devices

Your mobile devices allow you to work anywhere, anytime. As a result, your data is always at risk. That’s why it’s essential to make sure your devices are always protected. Password protect your laptop, tablet and smartphone, and make sure they’re equipped with the latest security software. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when connecting to public and private WiFi networks.

2. Protect Your Website

It’s not just big corporations that are hacked; every day, thousands of small businesses fall victim to malware. Unsecure websites offer an easy gateway for cybercriminals. Make sure your website is protected with a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate. SSL encrypts data going to and from your website so it can’t be stolen and misused. SSL is becoming the standard for all websites, and Google is labeling websites without it “unsecure.”

3. Be Careful When Paying at The Pump

Gas station credit card readers are often compromised with “skimmers.” These devices are attached to credit card readers in order to swipe the data from your credit card’s magnetic strip when you pay at the pump. To avoid having your credit card account hacked, pay with cash or use your card inside. The few extra minutes it takes is worth avoiding identity theft.

4. Back Up Your Data

Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Imagine having your corporate data stolen and then having to pay an enormous sum to get it back. Schedule regular backups of your business files and applications and store a duplicate copy offsite. When your backup tapes reach the end of their retention lifecycle, destroy them with an electronic/magnetic media destruction service.

5. Don’t Forget about Non-Digital Data

We’re so focused on digital information that it’s easy to forget about protecting your hard copy information. But criminals still use low-tech methods to steal confidential business data. Your trash and recycling bins are low-lying fruit.

A mobile shredding service keeps your information out of dumpsters and recycling bins. A background-screened, professional destruction specialist visits your business on a regular basis to collect and destroy your documents on-site with a state-of-the-art mobile shredding truck. Your documents are destroyed with NAID AAA Certified processes while you watch. You receive a Certificate of Destruction when your shredding project is complete.

Remember, data security awareness isn’t just for October—you can practice these tips all year long!

Land Shark Shredding offers on-site mobile destruction services in Bowling Green and throughout southwest Kentucky. For more information, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.

Wishing everyone in the Land Shark Shredding community a safe, restful, and happy Labor Day!