Avoid Data Breaches in Your Small Business with Document Destruction

Data destruction and document shredding may be one of the last items on the “to-do” list for small business owners, but it should be in the top five. Leaving sensitive and confidential data around can quickly turn into a situation that not only costs time to rectify but could result in thousands of dollars in damages.

Document shredding is easy and secure when using professional equipment. Files are handled with care and are shredded in a way that makes it impossible to piece things back together.

Data Security in Small Businesses

For a small business, data security protocols may include using a small, retail shredder. This will not work. Why not? Over-the-counter shredders are not known for making pieces small enough where a document can’t be pieced back together. In fact, there are programs on the market that will help reconstruct a document that was sent to the shredder, creating a violation of privacy and a field day for thieves.

Secure Document Destruction

Do small businesses really need document destruction? Absolutely! Any business dealing with sensitive documents and other people’s information needs to have a strict protocol in place to ensure that information is not compromised. There are a few things people don’t know:

• If you put things in the trash, it’s open season for the public. That means even if something is taken from your trashcan and used, there is nothing you can do about it.
• There are some states that make it mandatory that you must properly destroy documents or face steep consequences. One of the most crucial laws regulating personal information is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law requires patient information to be shredded.

Additional laws are The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) that requires the protection of consumer information and the way it is discarded. In these instances, utilizing the convenience of shredding services makes sense. Other ways to keep data secure are by locking all files, having a strong risk management protocol, scheduling recurring pickups for documents to be shredded, protecting all passwords, and securing all paper files.

Small businesses have continuous risks to face when dealing with documentation. Putting employees at risk and having compromised sensitive data is not a situation you want to be in. Any information with customers' names, social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, resumes, and other identifying documents should be shredded by a professional team that knows exactly what to do. This also includes hard drives.

Contact Shred America

The team at Shred America makes sure your documents are shredded according to compliance standards. While some small businesses don’t know the laws, we work with your team to help you understand the severity and importance of maintaining effective risk management protocols to avoid fines and penalties.

We’ve been around for years, serving the public and specialized businesses such as libraries, schools, medical facilities, car dealerships, and other businesses that understand how crucial protecting personal information is.

If you would like to know more about our shredding, data, and document destruction services, find us on the web by typing in “shredding services near me” or contact a team associate for a consultation and free quote today.