Paper Shredding 101: 5 Things You Need to Know

Regular document and media destruction is a valuable asset to protecting your company’s brand, reputation, and identity. Here are the shredding basics when it comes to working with a shredding company.

Companies and people alike have fallen victim to identity theft and scams because of loss of information that a person used off of a stolen document. A company has to take great care in the way they destroy paperwork with information on it in order to protect their customers. At home, it’s important to properly destroy information so you can protect yours and your family’s identity. When it comes to shredding, it’s not just about paper and there are processes in place to keep you safe. Here are the most basic aspects of shredding you need to know.

Purge vs. Routine Shredding

Purge shredding is exactly what the name suggests: it’s a one-time shredding service that can take sensitive documents that have accumulated and need to be destroyed securely and in accordance with the law. Routine shredding is the opposite: it’s a regularly scheduled mobile paper shredding service is perfect for businesses that frequently produce sensitive and confidential documents and want to comply with information security standards. Some businesses need a one-time clean up or more regular services for documents that need destroying more frequently. Purge shredding is perfect for homes, home offices, and businesses that handle small-volume documents.

Mobile Shredding vs. Onsite Shredding

With mobile shredding, all of your old files and paperwork are transported after they have been destroyed on the truck at the site of your business. Because the paper is mixed in the truck, it is impossible for anyone to piece it together. This also mitigates the risk of transporting whole files prior to destruction. Nothing is ever left unattended and you are witness to the destruction of your files right then and there. Off-site shredding has its benefits, too. Off-site shredding involves collecting and carting all documents to a cargo truck to be transported to a facility to be shredded. For some businesses with low-volume destruction needs, this may be a more cost-effective solution.

Media Shredding

Protecting your identity goes beyond the paper trail. Your identity can be spread far and wide on a variety of different media, from hard drives, CDs, and SIM cards. Hard drive shredding, CD shredding, thumb drive shredding, and mobile device shredding are all part of ensuring your information is destroyed, no matter where it is stored. Onsite media destruction is the best defense against loss of private data, and this also includes credit card processing machines and point of sale terminals, old fax machines, and even printers.

Certificate of Destruction (COD)

A certificate of destruction is basically a formal statement that describes the steps taken by the shredding company in the disposal of your documents. This document guarantees that your documents were properly disposed of and in accordance with all laws.  A certified document destruction specialist ensures that your obsolete information is destroyed in its entirety with a highly secure, controlled, closed-process to ensure the safety of your information, mitigating your risks and protecting your business reputation.

Certifications: Why They Are Important

When you consider the time and expenses associated with shredding in-house, it’s definitely in your best interest to outsource your paper shredding needs. Professional shredders should be certified, as this ensures that those who are shredding your documents follow all the required government regulations when doing so. Certifications also ensure staff have had thorough background investigations prior to hiring and all equipment meets manufacturer specifications.

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