Right now, one of the biggest security concerns facing any business is the problem of identity theft and other breaches of confidential information. Identity theft causes billions of dollars in damages every year, and can absolutely ruin the lives of people affected – and sometimes also ruin a company which allowed the theft to happen.
Protecting data is largely a two-sided problem. Part one involves protection of data while it’s under your safekeeping, such as in secure file rooms and computer servers. However, often the larger problem comes when it’s time to properly dispose of data.
Whether it’s on paper or on electronic media, sensitive private information must be disposed of in a safe, confidential, and irretrievable manner. You need secure document shredding services, and hard drive disposal from Action Shred of Texas, to ensure none of your trash turns into a scammer’s treasure.
How Confidential Shredding Services Protect You
A fully licensed and insured document shredding service can quickly and easily eliminate your waste paper, while maintaining total confidentiality.
The process is simple: When a licensed professional shredder arrives, you put any documents which need to be destroyed into a secure bin, which is locked as soon as the materials are in there. Those bins are then taken directly to a shredding truck where, without being opened, they are destroyed entirely.
In many cases, this can be done on-site so you’re able to visually verify that your confidential information is properly shredded and maintain a clear chain-of-custody. This is a requirement in some heavily-regulated areas of data protection.
A properly certified confidential shredding service doesn’t stop there, however. The shredded materials are then put into a recycling system, absolutely guaranteeing the information on them is irretrievable. Then you receive a certificate of destruction, should you ever need to prove proper handling of the materials.
Destruction of Electronic Media
The other major concern for data theft is the problem of electronic data not being fully destroyed, such as hard drives and removable media. A standard software-based “formatting” of a drive is not sufficient to prevent the data from being recovered. Even the most stringent software-based wipe will leave traces of the data.
There are various ways to ensure electronic data is fully destroyed. High-powered magnets are one option. Another is total physical destruction: by placing hard drives in crushing machines, they can be rendered absolutely unreadable.
These services can also often be conducted on a go-to basis, allowing you to watch your drives be destroyed safely.
Don’t Risk Fines or Worse
Businesses today should treat the protection of confidential data with absolute seriousness. The risks of poorly handling data are simply too high, from the potential fines involved to the risk to their own employees.
For more information on shredding services, please contact Action Shred of Texas.