SELECTSHRED | SHREDDING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS – PORT ST. LUCIE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE SHREDDING INDIANTOWN SHREDDING

Shredding documents is sometimes seen as a suspicious activity. Any movie scene involving document shredding is always filled with suspicion or humor. However, routinely shredding confidential information is far from being suspicious or humorous. Routine shredding indicates systematic sound operations and a responsible corporate/business culture. Developing the routine of shredding with a third party vendor should be encouraged to prevent identity theft, comply with federal regulations, and to avoid fines. Most importantly, the protection of individual privacy and a company’s reputation are not in jeopardy when a secure document destruction program is in place. Follow this link for additional information on the importance of routine and complete shredding. http://usarmy.vo.llnwd.net/e2/c/downloads/328412.pdf

The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) says that even when organizations shred for the right reasons, some practices may promote the appearance of impropriety, especially if a third party contractor is excluded from the process. NAID shares some ways to minimize any impression of wrongdoing: Shred on a regular schedule, use your shredding contractor for all of your shredding, treat all documents equally and shred everything. Have a destruction policy. NAID emphasizes that you should never let some records go in the trash while you shred other records. https://www.proshred.com/selectshred/wp-content/themes/Liveset/pdf/62_Shred_FATRR_flyer.pdf

When you shred, for the best security and protection, do the following:

• Use a NAID AAA Certified company.
• Ask if the documents are shredded at your location.
• Consider the qualifications and certifications of your document destruction company.
• Have a recurring shredding service for daily security of documents and to avoid sporadic shredding.
• Receive a certificate of destruction after each service. It is a legal document that proves you used a third party for the proper destruction and disposal of your confidential information.

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD COMPLIANCE – INDIANTOWN SHREDDING PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE SHREDDING PALM CITY SHREDDING STUART SHREDDING JENSEN BEACH SHREDDING PALM BEACH GARDENS SHREDDING OKEECHOBEE SHREDDING

Why is there an urgency to forge an immediate partnership with a secure on-site document destruction/shredding service as federal regulations requiring compliance deadlines draw near? Healthcare organizations have been charged with safeguarding confidential information and protecting patient privacy (thereby avoiding fines or criminal and civil prosecution), but now Medicare physician fee payments will be impacted if electronic health record (EHR) compliance is not met.

Since 1996, medical facilities, doctors’ offices, and hospitals have been required to comply with provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by protecting patient privacy. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act), enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), significantly increased data protection requirements for all healthcare organizations. The HITECH Act includes data breach notification. Any breach of confidentiality such as improperly discarded documents must be reported to the authorities, patients, and the media. The HITECH Act also allows for increased enforcement and fines of up to $1,500,000 per incident. Although the electronic health record compliance requirement was created by the ARRA and included Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments for healthcare providers, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 goes further and will reduce Medicare physician fee payments if EHR compliance is not met by early 2015. http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/are-there-penalties-providers-who-don%E2%80%99t-switch-electronic-health-record.

As we work with doctors’ offices that are scanning their patient charts for EHR compliance, we realize that some medical facilities are still not as informed as they should be about the importance of using a third-party vendor to provide shredding services to ensure federal and state compliance with regard to securing and discarding the confidential information of their patients. In 2006, the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) did a survey that found 54% of healthcare organizations outsourced their information destruction needs. The same survey also showed that the trend in outsourcing was increasing. Your best protection is the use of a NAID AAA Certified document destruction company. With a third party vendor, outsourcing your shredding is more secure, it is less expensive, and there is a record of compliance. A document destruction company provides a certificate of destruction after each service.

For doctors and medical facilities in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Rio, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Sewall’s Point, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens, Indiantown, Okeechobee, and Vero Beach, it is important to understand that a secure on-site NAID AAA Certified document destruction company with a mobile shred truck that arrives at your location and shreds all documents at your location is your greatest ally to help you avoid fines and lost reputation, and to comply with federal regulations. With the implementation of EHR for all healthcare providers, the need for secure document destruction increases—not decreases. Click on the following links for additional information.http://www.isalushealthcare.com/Resources/ElectronicMedicalRecordsMandate.aspx

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | HOW EFFECTIVE IS YOUR COMMUNICATION? – INDIANTOWN SHREDDING

Effective communication helps us understand each other better.  As we improve our communication in business, just like in personal relationships, we are able to resolve conflicts, build trust and respect. The communication process is no different when dealing with your shredding service.  Is it really only about how much?  What is the lowest price?  Should how low can you go be the greatest concern?

It was with pride that we furnished documents to a prospective customer who wanted to see our qualifications to prove what we claim to do.  This matters!  Why? Knowing who you are entrusting to handle your confidential information is your ultimate responsibility because it will never be enough to say that you used a third party without asking for the proper credentials.  Would you entrust any important job in your home or company without meeting a company representative and requesting documentation about their work history?

Many businesses do not know what happens to their confidential information when the shredding company shows up.  Is it shredded on-site (at your location) or is it taken to a remote facility for sorting, etc.  Don’t maintain the status quo.  Know where your confidential ends up.  Ideally, your confidential documents should be shredded at your location and the shredded materials taken to a recycling facility.  You should also receive a certificate of destruction after each service.

Communication is definitely a two-way street.  It is also our obligation to inform you of what you should be looking for when you look for a shredding service. We are obligated to build a relationship wherein we can explain options that can significantly contribute to the security, efficiency, and profitability of your organization.  Only in going beyond “just give me a number—your lowest price” can we develop this mutually beneficial relationship.

Encourage and build a strong communication relationship with your locally owned and operated mobile/on-site shredding company that is NAID AAA Certified.  A NAID AAA Certified company adheres to strict standards in the document destruction industry. Develop a partnership and form a strong alliance in the ongoing effort to fight identity theft, safeguard confidential information, and protect individual privacy rights.

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | SHRED EVENTS—WHAT’S YOUR REASON?

It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to clearing clutter, championing charitable events, closing chapters (moving to new homes, offices, or areas). Whatever the reason for shredding, the positive end results are the same.  Shredding is an additional tool in our arsenal to fight identity theft, protect our personal information, maintain our privacy, and safeguard the confidential information of our customers or clients. Of course, there is an array of resources available to fight identity theft but shredding confidential documents is only one important layer of protection.

Certainly a shred event is an opportunity to turn an important and necessary activity into a chance to get out and fundraise for a good cause. It can be a chance for professional organizations to provide an opportunity for their clients to dispose of their confidential information in a safe environment. It is an opportunity for each person to come out with others as they do the right thing by properly disposing of sensitive data that they are no longer required to keep.

A shred event will always be a great public service opportunity to promote the awareness of identity theft and the importance of shredding to keep your sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. It is common knowledge that to avoid identity theft or information theft, outdated files should be destroyed by shredding.

We look forward to our partnership with the Hobe Sound/Port Salerno Rotary Club in hosting a Shred Event at Sailfish Splash Waterpark in Stuart. Follow the link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1481030832110833/?ref=22

We also look forward to contributing to more community shred events that enlighten our neighbors about the perils of identity theft and what they can do to prevent it. Come out and have the opportunity to learn about a NAID AAA Certified mobile/on-site shredding company. Learn about compliance with federal regulations such as FACTA, HIPAA, and GLBA. Experience a shred event where your documents will not be carted away to be sorted and shredded at another location at another time but will be shredded on-site. All shredded materials will be recycled into new paper products.

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | DOCUMENT SHREDDING—WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE?

All business owners and responsible managers worry about risk and reputation. However, due to a lack of information about data security and destruction, many do not understand the risks that result from complacency about implementing procedures to safeguard the confidential information in their custody. Rather than worrying about risk and reputation only, one should learn why it is important to shred confidential information with a third party service and understand the message you send when you don’t.

The message that you want to send to your employees and customers/clients is that you care. You care enough to implement a formal data security, destruction, and disposal program. You show you care by using a NAID AAA Certified company that will help you to manage risk and protect your reputation by safeguarding your confidential information. You show you care by ensuring that you receive a certificate of destruction after each shredding service. Never let the message be that you do not care about properly securing and destroying sensitive data. Without proper action taken, your company, employees, and customer/clients are in jeopardy because there is a lack of accountability. This lack of accountability contributes to the risks of privacy violations and identity theft.

Sometimes it is easy but risky to consider document shredding as a secondary component to running a successful business. However, all privacy laws require the secure destruction of confidential information when it is no longer needed. Data breaches and unprotected proprietary information can lead to stiff fines. It pays to remember that when you shred confidential information, you are managing risk and protecting your reputation. You are also helping the environment when you choose a NAID AAA Certified shredding service to shred your confidential information because all shredded materials are recycled into new paper products.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is charged with consumer protection and pursues vigorous and effective law enforcement. The FTC provides current information that can help your business be compliant with federal laws and regulations.

http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/01/provider-medical-transcript-services-settles-ftc-charges-it

“Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things.”
― Og Mandino

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | IS YOUR BUSINESS TIRED OF SHREDDING ITS MONEY AND RISKING ITS REPUTATION? – JENSEN BEACH MOBILE SHREDDER PALM BEACH GARDENS MOBILE SHREDDER PORT ST LUCIE MOBILE SHREDDER FORT PIERCE MOBILE SHREDDER STUART MOBILE SHREDDER OKEECHOBEE MOBILE SHREDDER

Recently, the calls have been coming in about the burned out office shredders. It does seem like a great plan to shred in-house but the reality is that the busier an office becomes, the less likely it is that valuable staff time will be spent feeding the office shredder on a daily basis. Every time your employee feeds paper into the office shredder, your business is as good as shredding its money and its profits as well as risking its reputation. A lawyer said “We all try the office shredder and realize that it is not the solution.”  The office manager for a doctor said “Look at these three office shredders, they have all burned out and we still have stacks of paper that we need to shred.”

Here is our reminder.

■Office shredders are a chore to use but a recurring shredding service is secure, economical, and convenient.

■Office shredders decrease productivity and decrease profitability, costing twice as much to use as a recurring shredding service.

■Office shredders require maintenance and frequent replacement.

■Office shredders provide no record of compliant document destruction program but a NAID AAA Certified Company provides you with documentation if legal allegations arise or audits get done.

Remember, shredded paper that is placed in plastic bags and thrown in the trash carries every bit of information that you tried to destroy and you have no legal ownership of the trash — just ownership of the bad publicity due to misuse of the information taken from the dumpster. Also, it is easier to avoid large fines if you have a document security program in place that is compliant with federal regulations such as FACTA, GLBA, and HIPAA.

As a business owner, you are probably constantly worried about your reputation and costs. One of the best ways to protect your reputation and keep your revenue is to understand the repercussions of improper document security and disposal and implement procedures to avoid fines and litigation.

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | HOW IS YOUR DATA SECURITY ACCOUNTABILITY RATING? – PORT SAINT LUCIE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE SHREDDING STUART SHREDDING PALM CITY SHREDDING HOBE SOUND SHREDDING PALM BEACH SHREDDING

The March 26, 2014 article from Storage and Destruction Business (SDB) highlighted a recent settlement awarded by a Florida Court in a class-action data breach lawsuit. This information is timely as more regulations are put into place to ensure that customer privacy is not compromised and that businesses are held accountable for safeguarding the confidential information in their custody. As the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) CEO Bob Johnson said in the article, “It means the cost of a data breach will be so high that organizations will have to find a way to avoid them. Ultimately, it means better policies, better employee training, better contracts and greater scrutiny on third-party contracts and indemnification.” http://www.sdbmagazine.com/data-breach-settlement.aspx.

Accountability is paramount in protecting your company in case of an alleged data breach. Everything will rest on what you have in place to prove that you have done everything in your power to avoid data breaches, protect customer privacy, and safeguard the confidential information in your custody. Otherwise, you might face daunting legal issues, fines, destroyed reputation, and even settlement costs. Of course, employee education is the key to having effective data security in place. A NAID AAA Certified company can provide assistance in reviewing and preparing written document destruction policies and procedures. It will assist in staff training for your data security and destruction program.

Compliance training is the law, is good business practice, and is important for employees to understand the process. A process that involves understanding that proper data protection goes beyond shredding paper and also involves protecting data on computer hard drives, copier hard drives, and other storage media. This process also means that each business is responsible for knowing and understanding the qualifications of the   document destruction company that it hires. Businesses are also held accountable for making sure that their own employees receive adequate training about proper data security and destruction practices.

Businesses are required and obligated by federal laws and regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) to safeguard, destroy and securely dispose of confidential information to reduce the risk of consumer fraud and identity theft. Customers, clients, and patients must have their information protected from identity theft and their privacy must also be protected. Collecting customer, client, and patient data brings with it the responsibility to protect that data from its collection and retention until it is no longer needed.

Using a third-party document destruction/shredding partner, such as a NAID AAA Certified company, will help to ensure that you are compliant with federal regulations. A NAID AAA Certified company performs the due diligence to make sure that when you use its service, the security personnel handling your confidential information have undergone rigorous background screening and training. As a professional secure data destruction service provider, a NAID AAA Certified company plays an important role in your Red Flags Rule compliance by assisting you in identifying potential breaches and breach indicators. So stay ahead and have a AAA rating.

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | YOU DON’T HAVE TO FILL THE MOBILE SHRED TRUCK TO QUALIFY FOR RECURRING SERVICE – PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE SHREDDING STUART SHREDDING PALM CITY SHREDDING HOBE SOUND SHREDDING PALM BEACH SHREDDING

Some prospective customers are reluctant about becoming recurring customers for shredding service. They are often afraid that they will not generate enough paper to qualify for using a shredding service. Instead, they prefer to hold their documents until they have accumulated what they consider a suitable number of boxes of paper to call the shredding company. It is time to dispel that misconception because the simple truth is that you do not have to fill the shred truck. Fill your own container on your own terms and benefit from the security, convenience, and economy of having a recurring shredding service.

It is always a sense of accomplishment when we realize the customer gets it. They understand that they are not paperless but that they need a shredding company more than ever as they embark on the route to a paperless office by scanning their documents and having them securely placed in locked containers until they are ready to be destroyed in a timely manner. Sometimes the call comes in and we hear that the shredder has burned out again or our office has gotten too busy to continue using valuable staff time to feed the office shredder. The best feeling is when we hear that their office has grown and they can no longer deny the unmistakable need for a shredding service.

Whether you are an office of one, ten, or 100, you can benefit from recurring shredding service. The ability to avoid data breaches and major fines by having a secure document destruction service such as a NAID AAA Certified company in place allows your business to be compliant with federal laws and regulations. Having a third party document destruction company is essential for avoiding data breaches because the regular practice of putting shredded paper from the office shredder in the trash increases vulnerability to various dumpster divers. Also, receiving a certificate of destruction for your record after every service is having at your disposal a legal document showing that you have done all that you can do to safeguard the confidential information in your custody, from its collection and retention through its secure and proper disposal. It is also important to note that all shredded materials are recycled into new paper products.

For all of our prospective customers from Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Rio, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Sewall’s Point, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens, Okeechobee, and Vero Beach, it is important to remember that you do not have to fill the shred truck by yourself. As the mobile shred truck makes it daily rounds from one business or residence to the other, the truck becomes full from many sources while making sure that all of your documents are shredded at your location, allowing each business and individual to fight identity theft, avoid fines and lost reputation, and to comply with federal regulations.

The following link shows what will not happen to your business or practice if you have developed a partnership with a secure document destruction company.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/02/26/confidential-patient-records-from-local-dentists-office-found-dumped-in-apple-valley/

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | FACTS ABOUT FACTA AND IDENTITY THEFT

PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE SHREDDING

STUART SHREDDING PALM CITY SHREDDING

HOBE SOUND SHREDDING PALM BEACH SHREDDING

Identity theft is an ongoing threat that causes us to remain vigilant to protect ourselves, our families, our businesses, and our customers. FACTA requires us to be aware of what we can do to safeguard the confidential information in our custody from retention to disposal. We need to be mindful that beyond the penalties, if confidential information is compromised, our business image suffers and customer loyalty is jeopardized. FACTA simply wants us to realize that when it is no longer necessary to keep confidential documents, they should be destroyed and properly disposed of and should never be simply thrown in the trash.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) is a law enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  FACTA added provisions to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  FACTA is designed to reduce the risk of identity theft by making provisions for the proper safeguarding and disposal of consumer information. The FACTA Disposal Rule requires that if you acquire consumer information for a business purpose, you must properly destroy that information and take reasonable measures to protect that information even when you need to dispose of it. Although the FTC FACTA Disposal Rule highlights organizations such as lenders, insurers, employers, government agencies, mortgage brokers, and automobile dealers, FACTA applies to almost every person or business in the U.S. An individual or business that violates FACTA rules could face severe penalties: civil liability, class action, federal enforcement, and state enforcement. Penalties could range from hundreds of dollars to the millions.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each business to ensure that the confidential information in its charge has been securely destroyed and discarded by responsible persons with authorized access. A business should know how its confidential information will be destroyed, where it will be destroyed, who will destroy it, and when it will be destroyed. It is imperative to receive a certificate of destruction after each document destruction service. It is a legal document to show that your records were transferred to the custody of a document destruction service with the credentials to properly destroy and discard your confidential information. Shredding with a third party service such as a NAID AAA Certified company that destroys the confidential documents at your location can help to fight identity theft, protect customer information and privacy, as well as protect a company’s proprietary information and its reputation.

The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) states that “Contracting with a NAID Member to shred all discarded consumer information is the best way to comply with FACTA. Service can be arranged on a schedule that suits any office.  It is the most economical alternative no matter how small or large the need.”

 Follow the link below for more information on the FTC’s response to improper disposal of consumer confidential information.

http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2007/12/company-will-pay-50000-penalty-tossing-consumers-credit-report

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | THE REALITY OF TRADE SECRET THEFTS

PORT ST LUCIE DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION FORT PIERCE DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION

STUART DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION PALM CITY DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION

HOBE SOUND DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION PALM BEACH DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION

It was admirable to hear an individual who reported that the employees in her small office take considerable care to make sure that they protect their trade information from their competitors. However, it was not that commendable that these employees use office shredders and took the shredded materials home to be placed in their respective trash receptacles to avoid having the competition discover their trade secrets.

The theft of trade secrets is a reality for many companies and sometimes it might be erroneously believed that it only affects large companies or involves international crime rings. However, it could be as simple as throwing drafts of upcoming projects, which you do not want competitors to know about, into the trash. The theft of trade secrets could be a more elaborate plot.

Employees handle and discard information that should be destroyed on a daily basis. The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) in A NAID “Informed Buyer” Publication—The Facts of Life (about proper information destruction) states that “There comes a time when every employer has to provide their employees with guidance on proper information disposal.”

Every business has the responsibility to train its employees on the importance of secure document destruction and implementing written procedures that could identify vulnerabilities in its security system. The greatest ally for any business in protecting its trade secrets involves partnership with a NAID AAA Certified mobile document destruction service that provides assistance in reviewing and preparing written document destruction policies and procedures as well as assisting in staff training. A secure on-site shredding service will provide lockable collection containers to secure your confidential documents until they are ready to be shredded at your location. After each shredding service, you will receive a certificate of destruction for your record showing that you are compliant with various federal regulations.

Although it is admirable that the above-mentioned employees are shredding their proprietary information and are aware of trade secret thefts, their information would be more protected with recurring service from a NAID AAA Certified company. Instead of depending on office shredders and then transporting sensitive information away from the office to dispose of in the trash, the regular use of a shredding service would offer greater security to the employees, their company, their customers, and their clients.

The following link sheds more light on the complexities involved in the theft of trade secrets.

http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2d7b11a2-ad18-4fc8-97c8-83b1e9646764

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com