It’s that time of year when we all look to clear out the clutter and start fresh. Your office is no exception.
But how do you organize your office without putting your clients and your employees at risk? The answer is in your document recycling and disposal process. Here’s what you should know about recycling sensitive documents…before throwing them out with the trash.
Keep Compliance in Mind
Not every document is safe to dispose of at will. Your company’s records are a critical resource and their disposal requires the proper investment of time and resources to ensure your compliance with federal and state regulations as well as ensuring the security of your employee’s and client’s information. Poor record disposal can result in security breaches, loss of confidential information, and lost privacy. Failing to heed security-related laws and regulations can result in costly fines or even imprisonment. Make sure you know what regulations apply to your document destruction before you take any action.
Hard Copy Document Shredding
Despite advances in paperless productivity, most businesses still inevitably create a lot of printouts, hard copy documents, and records. The question of what to do when those documents no longer are needed becomes one of combined convenience and security. In order to protect yourself from sensitive information falling into the wrong hands, documents may be shredded (both horizontally and vertically so that reassembly is next to impossible), incinerated, or pulped so that no information is available to unauthorized viewers.
Additional Information: Where can I have documents destroyed in Atlanta, GA?
Recycle When You Can
How do companies balance the need for security and their desire to become more environmentally sustainable?
If you are not working with a professional document management service such as Happy Faces Records Management, your choices are limited. Shredded paper can be re-used as packing material, but that also exposes companies to significant risk. Commercial shredded paper may be accepted by recycling companies so long as it is completely free of plastic and metal and contained within clear plastic bags. However, this is not appropriate for highly confidential documents as sensitive information may still be reconstructed, which can result in privacy violations and possible legal action. Make sure you are working with a high-quality document management company who takes on the responsibility of recycling for you.
What About Digital Files?
The proper destruction of hard copy documents is only effective if the digital files associated with those documents are also destroyed properly. Simply deleting the files is not enough. Until that space has been written over, the possibility of recovering data still exists. Similar to shredding important paper documents, one way to ensure that your personal information is not easily accessed is by “shredding” of the individual files on the hard drive. There are a variety of software programs which can shred files, but it can be confusing to know which one is right for you.
If you’re looking for more guidance on how to clear your space without breaking any laws and ensuring your data is protected, consider your sensitive document destruction and management to a responsible document management service provider such as Happy Faces Records Management. The security and convenience of a document management partner protect your company from security violations and helps maintain security as a high priority. Call today to talk with a representative.
