5 ITEMS TO BOOST YOUR SECURITY WHEN SELECTING YOUR SHREDDING COMPANY

For any service that you intend to work with for a day or on an ongoing basis, it is imperative to know who the providers are and what they stand for with regard to giving you the service you deserve to accomplish the task. From the initial phone call through the arrival of the driver at your place of business or residence, the following are five items that will boost your security when selecting your shredding company and consequently the personnel:

1. Using a NAID AAA Certified Company. The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) creates the highest industry standards for secure document destruction service. NAID AAA Certified companies follow strict industry guidelines in their operations. Ask for the NAID AAA Certificate and look for the logo.
2. Working with personnel who have had extensive initial and random background checks, passed substance abuse screening, and passed knowledge based tests in the information destruction process, including for HIPAA compliance.
3. Having the use of a shred truck and its equipment at your disposal that meet or exceed industry-established criteria to ensure the information destruction process is safe and secure. This includes having a video monitor on the truck so you can witness the destruction of your sensitive documents.
4. Ensuring the use of a mobile shredding company that will destroy your documents and hard drives at your location. No information is taken away to break the chain of custody.
5. Experiencing professionalism that extends from the first phone call or email request to the driver who arrives at your door in uniform and wearing company identification so that you know the person(s) handling your confidential information are who they say they are and they are accountable for making sure that you receive safe and secure quality service.

SELECTSHRED | NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2015

PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS UNDER THE FLORIDA INFORMATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2014

Sometimes doing it yourself is cost-effective and wise. However, changing times, laws, and expectations dictate that businesses take another approach to completing a task that seems so mundane that there is no apparent reason why they should not do it themselves. Information destruction or document shredding is often considered as such a task.

Here are three ways to protect your business and comply with the Florida Information Protection Act of 2014:

1. Outsource your information destruction or document shredding to a qualified third-party. If new information protection laws caused you to buy an office shredder, think about using a NAID AAA Certified information destruction company for proper destruction and disposal.
2. Get a record of compliance from a third- party information destruction company. Without having a record of compliance from a NAID AAA Certified company, you can forfeit valuable legal protection if your business is alleged to have an information security breach. A certification of destruction from your information destruction company is your legal record of compliance.
3. Ensure proper destruction of hard drives and other non-paper media. Before hard drives and other non-paper media are disposed of, the confidential information stored on them must be destroyed. This is best done by physically destroying the hard drives and non-paper media.

The best way to be compliant with the Florida Information Protection Act and with federal regulations such as FACTA, GLBA, and HIPAA is to entrust the security of your confidential information to a NAID AAA Certified company for its proper destruction and disposal.

Read more…

SELECTSHRED | A MORE THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO THE PROPER DESTRUCTION AND DISPOSAL OF HARD DRIVES AND NON-PAPER MEDIA

Since the Florida Information Protection Act of 2014 more individuals and businesses are definitely taking action to protect their own personal information and the sensitive information of their customers/clients. The Florida Information Protection Act sets the standards for maintaining and disposing of electronically stored confidential information. Also, it reduced data breach notification times regarding when customers/clients must be notified in the event of a data security breach.

The Florida Information Protection Act as well as the significant fines and negative publicity that affected some major companies due to data security breaches have caused more individuals and businesses to be aware of the consequences of these breaches. The increased awareness has led to the understanding that when data security breaches occur, no one will be absolved of liability if that information is ever retrieved and misused.

We are less likely to hear that someone is willing to hammer, drill or even wipe their hard drives. The requests have been coming in to destroy floppy drives, phones, CDs/DVDs, and other non-paper media. Many have realized that the complete destruction of electronic media is as important as the destruction of their printed media. For hard drives, the physical destruction of the hard drive platters is the only way to ensure complete destruction of the drives and the information that has been recorded on the drives.

More individuals and businesses are removing and destroying their hard drives and the information they contain before they recycle or throw out your their computers. They are less likely to entrust the hard drives to others if they are not sure of the hard drive destruction method to be used. A mobile/on-site NAID AAA Certified hard drive destruction company will use equipment and processes to destroy and dispose of hard drives efficiently, safely, economically, and environmentally responsibly. Ask to witness the hard drive destruction process.

For additional information, read this link:

http://laws.flrules.org/2014/189

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

(772) 463-3166

TIME TO REVIEW YOUR DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION POLICIES | NAID AAA Certified Hard Drive Destruction in Stuart Shredding in Stuart

It’s that time of the year again when we reflect on the decisions of the past year and look forward to making changes for a new year. The following are three changes to consider with regard to your document destruction policies:

1. Am I going to spend another year fighting with the office shredder? You do know that the office shredder provides no record of a compliant document destruction program. Also, office shredders do not provide adequate legal protection in the event of an information security breach. Office shredders are more costly than a third party shredding service due to the cost of wasted staff time, office shredder maintenance, consumables cost, and shredder replacement cost.
2. Am I 100% satisfied with my current shredding service? If you already have a third party shredding vendor in place, it is time to consider whether you are getting the service you deserve. Is it your wish to have your documents shredded at a remote location or do you want to have the peace of mind in knowing that your documents are shredded securely on-site (at your location)? Are you happy with the reliability of the service? How about the billing, invoicing, and transparency of the service fees?
3. Am I doing all I can do to safeguard the confidential information in my custody? Your reliance on the office shredder as a credible source of a sound document destruction program could jeopardize your brand image and your reputation. To ensure that you have fulfilled your obligations to protect the confidential information in your custody from its proper retention to its responsible destruction, use a NAID AAA certified company. This will keep you in compliance with federal regulations such as FACTA, GLBA, and HIPAA. Be sure to receive a certificate of destruction for your record at the time of each service.

SelectShred, Inc.

(772) 463-3166

SELECTSHRED | SHREDDING IN STUART SHREDDING IN PALM CITY SHREDDING IN PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING IN FORT PIERCE SHREDDING IN PALM BEACH SHREDDING IN HOBE SOUND – 10 simple NEW YEAR’S SHREDDING RESOLUTIONS

As you reflect on changes for the New Year, consider the following 10 simple shredding resolutions:

I RESOLVE TO:

1. Lose my dependency on the office shredder because it does not adequately afford me the legal protection that I need.
2. Re-evaluate my current shredding service provider to be absolutely sure that I am getting the service that I deserve.
3. Review my current document destruction policies to ensure that proper procedures, documentation, and records are being followed.
4. Consider my satisfaction with the total package of my current service—billing, reliability, responsiveness, etc.
5. Be informed of the risks of not having a secure document destruction program in place.
6. Determine the qualifications, certifications, and processes of your shredding service.
7. Learn more about the federal regulations that govern your industry such as FACTA, HIPAA, and GLBA.
8. Protect my business from information security breaches and identity theft by using a third party document destruction provider.
9. Protect people and preserve the environment by shredding all paper first and then having it recycled.
10. Use a NAID AAA certified mobile shredding company for the secure destruction of confidential documents and hard drives.

http://business.ftc.gov/privacy-and-security/data-security

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SHREDDING IN STUART SHREDDING IN PALM CITY SHREDDING IN PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING IN PALM BEACH

Top 5 Things Customers Need to Know

1. Businesses are required and obligated by laws and regulations to destroy and dispose securely of confidential information to reduce the risk of consumer fraud and identity theft. Shredding is the most common acceptable method of destruction and is considered as taking reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to or use of information when it is disposed.
2. There are severe penalties for businesses that do not destroy consumer information before it is discarded as required by various federal laws such as HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA. Violators can face civil liability, class action law suits, enforcement by the federal government, and enforcement by the states. Fines can range from in the thousands to in the millions of dollars.
3. Recycling without first destroying confidential media is not a secure method of disposal of confidential information and renders a business vulnerable to information security breaches. Material sent for recycling is often manually sorted in usable and intact form, rendering your confidential information vulnerable to extraction and misuse. Recycling also provides no documentation that confidential information has been securely destroyed.
4. Shredding in-house with an office shredder will not provide appropriate legal protection in case of an information security breach. A certificate of destruction from an on-site third party shredding service will prove that a business took all reasonable measures to avoid an information security breach and will also provide appropriate legal protection.
5. Placing shredded paper from the office shredder in the trash increases vulnerability to misuse of information by various dumpster divers: criminals looking for personal information; competitors looking for customer data; and reporters looking for a story about your business.

SELECTSHRED | SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE VS COST OF DIY

DOCUMENT SHREDDING IN STUART DOCUMENT SHREDDING IN PORT ST LUCIE DOCUMENT SHREDDING IN HOBE SOUND DOCUMENT SHREDDING IN PALM BEACH

How many times have we heard that our staff members use office shredders and it does not cost anything? Why should we have a service do our shredding when we can do it ourselves as securely as any outside service?  Everything costs something! The most obvious cost is the time spent by busy staff to feed the office shredder. Office shredders decrease productivity and decrease profitability, costing at least twice as much to use as a recurring shredding service. As obvious as wasted staff time is, there is a bigger picture—decision makers should think about how their brand, image, and reputation will be affected if document security and destruction are not considered as important components of their business risk management program.

Let’s start with security. Are you absolutely sure that your confidential documents are shredded on a timely basis? Are they put aside until someone gets around to shredding them?  It is more likely that employees are so busy with other assignments, shredding is not a priority and stays in the office until one day when they get around to it. A NAID AAA Certified company provides lockable containers to keep your sensitive information secure until they are ready to be shredded on a regular schedule. The NAID AAA certification status requires maintaining the highest employment standards, information protection, and professionalism in the industry.

Lack of compliance with various federal, state and local regulations will result in heavy fines and penalties for companies that do not safeguard the confidential information in their custody from secure retention to proper disposal. Remember that shredded paper placed in plastic bags and thrown in the trash contain information that could be put back together and you have no legal ownership of the trash–just ownership of the bad publicity due to misuse of information discovered in the dumpster. It is important to have a document security and destruction program in place to prove that you have taken all reasonable measures to safeguard the confidential information in your custody?

Office shredders provide no record of a compliant document destruction program but a NAID AAA Certified company provides protection and documentation if legal issues arise due to an alleged or actual information security breach. A certificate of destruction is a legal document that proves your use of a third party service provider for the proper destruction and disposal of your confidential information. It is easier to avoid large fines if you have a compliant document security and destruction program in place.

The big picture is really “What is the cost if your company has an information security breach?

http://www.niada.com/PDFs/Publications/Safeguards%20Rule.pdf

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | WHAT’S YOUR SHREDDING POLICY?

Keep Your Confidential Information Secure. Don’t Let it Walk Off as Trash

TREASURE COAST SHREDDING SHREDDING IN STUART SHREDDING IN PALM CITY SHREDDING IN PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING IN FORT PIERCE SHREDDING IN PALM BEACH SHREDDING IN OKEECHOBEE

Certainly no organization would want to convey that they have a policy against shredding…against protecting privacy rights and preventing identity theft. Is that really the message that you want to communicate to your valuable customers and clients who have entrusted you with their personal and confidential information? Develop a policy that says “We care about keeping you safe from identity theft and protecting your privacy.”

The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) shares some tips to minimize the possibility of accidental exposure of confidential information: Shred on a regular schedule, use a qualified third party service for all of your document destruction, treat all documents equally by shredding everything, and have a secure document destruction policy. NAID emphasizes that, to avoid serious errors, you should never let some records go in the trash while other records get shredded. A third party document destruction service provides legal protection and proof of regulatory compliance. A certificate of destruction is provided after each shredding service for your legal record.

A first step in developing a policy to protect the confidential information in your custody is to build a relationship with your mobile/on-site document destruction company that is NAID AAA Certified. A NAID AAA Certified company follows strict standards in the document destruction industry that protect clients. Develop a partnership and form an alliance in the ongoing effort to fight identity theft, safeguard confidential information, protect individual privacy rights, and be compliant with federal regulations—HIPAA, FACTA and GLBA.

Another important step involves the message that you send to your employees, customers, and clients to show that you care by implementing a formal document security, destruction, and disposal policy. Without a proper policy in place, your organization, employees, customers, and clients could be jeopardized due to a lack of accountability and knowledge. Properly trained employees, a formal document destruction program, and a recurring document destruction service are the best ways to combat identity theft, stop information security breaches, prevent privacy violations, and protect businesses from crippling penalties due to non-compliance with federal, state, and local regulations governing your industry.

Follow the link below to read more about the importance of having a formal document destruction policy in place.

http://web2.fkks.com/uploads/news/Chase_Fordham_Article.pdf

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

Considerations when choosing a qualified third-party secure on-site document destruction and hard drive destruction company

With all the important tasks to deal with in a busy day, the secure destruction of your sensitive information on paper or hard drives gets moved to the bottom of the list until lack of space or time dictates that this matter can no longer be pushed aside. It is not that you don’t care about the proper destruction and disposal of your information, it has more to do with where does document shredding and hard drive destruction fit into your list of priorities.

Your old records and files are valuable and should not be thrown in the garbage or otherwise discarded without thought. They should be destroyed and disposed of by a qualified and properly certified third-party secure on-site document destruction and hard drive destruction company to help protect you from liability.

The following are some steps to consider in making your decision to choose a qualified third-party secure on-site document destruction and hard drive destruction company.

• Shredding should not be a one-time event. It is an ongoing process with procedures in place for safeguarding your confidential information until its ready to be discarded.
• Build a relationship with your shredding company. Don’t fall prey to the lowest request for quote. Consider recurring service for maximum security.
• Know the qualifications of your shredding company. Is it a NAID AAA Certified Company? Do the employees and owners undergo criminal background checks and drug screening? Do you always receive a certificate of destruction for your record? Does the company specialize in information destruction or do they offer “shredding” as a side service to add revenue?
• Find out if your documents are shredded on-site (at your location). Do you want your confidential information transported away to be sorted and shredded at a later date at a remote location?
• Can your shredding company’s representatives be easily reached? Are they willing to customize services to fit your needs? Are they able to answer your questions and allay your concerns?

As you would in selecting any kind of service, you must take the time to understand if you are receiving a secure and proper document destruction service or a “shredding” service that exposes you to liability. Always remember that ultimately, the accountability rests with your company’s decision maker to make sure that the information was properly destroyed.

Follow the link below:

http://www.sdbmagazine.com/sdb0914-misleading-sales-strategies-NAID.aspx

SELECTSHRED, INC.

7960 SW JACK JAMES DRIVE

STUART, FL 34997

(772) 463-3166

The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) is constantly raising the bar for its information destruction members to ensure that customers receive the most secure and highest quality service that is possible. Opportunities for misrepresentation are always present in any line of business and using a NAID member that has achieved NAID AAA Certification status is a significant start to ensuring that the strictest ethical standards and highest level of certification are adhered to when choosing a document shredding and hard drive destruction company to destroy your sensitive information.

One good reason to keep talking about NAID is to increase awareness that not all service providers are created equally or, at the very least, you are able to make informed decisions. It is all about education and allowing yourself the opportunity to understand that just getting the lowest quote for recurring or one-time service is not the only measure you should use to determine your service provider. We keep emphasizing that decision makers should ask for the company qualifications and certifications of any third party vendor that they plan to use to destroy confidential information.

A NAID AAA Certified Company is assured that it is a secure and ethical operation because it follows and abides by the rigorous standards and requirements of NAID. NAID AAA Certification companies offer their customers transparency, integrity, and legitimacy. NAID AAA standards ensure that your business is compliant with federal regulations such as FACTA, GLBA, and HIPAA. These standards also ensure that you have the requisite documentation in place. It is important to know that the individuals handling your confidential information have undergone initial and random drug/substance abuse monitoring, initial and periodic criminal record searches, driver record reviews, employee training, access control, and other factors covered by NAID AAA Certification.

As we have said before, SelectShred chooses to be a NAID AAA Certified Company because it chooses to put its CUSTOMERS FIRST. Follow the link below to read about modifications to the NAID AAA Certification program.

http://www.sdbmagazine.com/naid-modifies-certification-program-requirements.aspx

SELECTSHRED DOES TREASURE COAST SHREDDING INCLUDING STUART SHREDDING PALM CITY SHREDDING PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE SHREDDING JENSEN BEACH SHREDDING PALM BEACH SHREDDING.

Richard Kinkead, Owner/President

Gloria Kinkead, Owner/Vice President

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com