Every week, it seems there is another data breach like the ones experienced by Experion or MyFitnessPal. But even if you do not keep your customers’ data in the cloud, chances are, you have their sensitive information on paper.
It is essential to shred material that could cause your customers heartache if the wrong people were to get it. Here are 4 shredding best practices to use in your business.
- Shred and Recycle. You should be shredding confidential paper, but do not stop there. When you recycle the shredded documents, you keep it out of the landfill. Data thieves often go to the county dump to find sensitive information to exploit.
- Shred Everything. It is amazing how many documents a business collects that has some information that should not be shared. The best practice is to shred everything rather than throw away paper lest something slip through the cracks. Taking the guesswork out of whether an item should be shredded is the best option.
Keeping Hard Copies Secure. Most businesses keep documents long after they need them. Some paper is needed for the current operation of the business. Remember, there are a number of people who come into your office including customers, vendors, and cleaning personnel. Therefore, you should have a plan in place to secure all paper documents so that they do not inadvertently fall into the wrong hands.
- Use a Professional Service for Shredding. Do not rely on your employees to shred documents. They will sometimes throw things away because it is quicker. Instead, have a place where all paper goes to be destroyed. Then bring in an outside vendor on a regular basis to perform the shred. Document shredding services will properly handle your documents including transporting them to a recycling facility for final disposal after shredding.
While sophisticated hackers can break into companies computers to steal data, a more low tech problem faces businesses too. Small businesses in particular often lack hard copy data security policies. Having a shredding plan in place and using an outside vendor to execute it protects your customer’s data. It also protects you from a lawsuit.
Recycle 1 provides paper shredding services for Arizona businesses. Contact us today to set up your onsite or offsite secure document destruction.
