How to Chose the Perfect Data Security and Data Destruction Vendor

When it comes to securing your business, your data protection and destruction should be top priority. The risks associated with not protecting your data or the data of your customers can mean the difference between success and disaster in a business. Working with a data security and destruction partner is a smart choice to making sure that your business and your customers are protected and secure, but when it comes to picking the right vendor to work with many companies find themselves at a loss.

Here are three things you should consider when searching for the right fit for your security needs.

Security

It’s just not enough to work with a vendor who will recycle or trash old business documents or house them in an unsecured archive (either onsite or digital). Secure data management requires an added layer of strategy, thought, and processing. Even seemingly harmless documentation can put your business at risk. Internal memos, draft documents, quotes, financial printouts, pay stubs, meeting notes, and especially records with employee data should all be considered worthy of proper disposal.

Pick a vendor who understands the multiple layers of sensitive information and how each type of document should be handled for storage and for destruction. Do you collect medical documents, such as x-rays or other non-paper documentation? They require specialized knowledge of how to manage. Whatever your industry, pick a vendor who understands your business, the data you collect, and how to keep that information safe while in use and once it has reached the end of it’s life as well.

Legal Knowledge

Privacy laws, both in the US and abroad, are gaining in standing and requiring more and more businesses to take their customer information more seriously when it comes to storage and disposal. New regulations such as GDPR are reflecting that increased attention. Governments are putting the burden on businesses to protect the documents and the information they contain for those who have provided that information. This means that when a large retailer has a massive data breach that results in exposure of financial and personal information, the merchants are the one left holding the bill and often a hefty fine to boot.

It also means that companies are on the hook to make sure their data is protected to the full extent of the law. As mentioned above, the healthcare industry has a wide-ranging collection of information specific protections. Working with a security vendor who understands HIPAA and GDPR will help keep your data protected to the full extent of your legal responsibility.

Convenience

Lastly, you should keep convenience in mind as well when picking your document management partner. Businesses naturally create a large amount of documentation. Consider whether you would benefit from having your documents housed offsite (but still easily accessed) or digitally (or both). Think about what works best for you in terms of disposal. Then ask questions of your vendors to see if their organization works with your convenience in mind.

For more advice on how a document security partner can help your business succeed, reach out to a consultant at Happy Faces Records Management today.

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