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

SELECTSHRED | MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION

PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE SHREDDING

STUART SHREDDING PALM CITY SHREDDING

HOBE SOUND SHREDDING JENSEN BEACH SHREDDING

The medical community is at the forefront of implementing document destruction procedures such as shredding on a regular schedule and using a third party document destruction vendor. The strict regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and audits make it mandatory for hospitals, medical facilities, and doctors’ offices to adhere to federal regulations to avoid fines that could reach over a million dollars per incident. All health-related organizations are subjected to data breach notification, increased enforcement, and vendor contract requirements.

Some medical offices believe that they are too small or too paperless to utilize a third party document destruction service. Recently, an office manager at a doctor’s office said it best “We are not paperless—we are chartless.” That office is currently in the process of removing all charts off the wall and scanning the information in every chart. Of course, this is something that many medical facilities will be faced with as they comply with Electronic Health Records (EHR) requirements by 2015 to avoid penalties that will be imposed under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.

http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/are-there-penalties-providers-who-don’t-switch-electronic-health-record.

Although your office might be in the process of going paperless, the need and expectation to safeguard the confidential information in your custody and to protect patient privacy will remain. Confidential patient information must still be secured and shredded after it has been scanned. Many forms are still being used as patients come into the office on a daily basis. Documents are still being faxed from one office to another. This information must all be secured until shredded. Your best protection is the use of a document destruction service that is NAID AAA Certified. 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, Okeechobee, and Vero Beach, it is important to understand that your office is not too small or too paperless to have a partnership with a secure on-site document destruction company. 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.

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | 5 THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT SECURE DOCUMENT SHREDDING

PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING COMPANY FORT PIERCE SHREDDING COMPANY

STUART SHREDDING COMPANY PALM CITY SHREDDING COMPANY

HOBE SOUND SHREDDING COMPANY JENSEN BEACH SHREDDING COMPANY

An asset is defined as a resource with economic value that an individual or entity owns or controls with the expectation that it will provide future benefit. Keep your confidential information as your asset. Don’t allow it to become someone else’s asset. The confidential information in your custody needs to be protected as much as any other asset in your company because this information in the wrong hands can be misused for the future gain of someone else.

The following are 5 things to consider about secure document shredding:

Secure document shredding is not a one-time event – it’s an ongoing process.

1. Develop a relationship with your shredding company – it’s not about the lowest quote.
2. Know the qualifications of your shredding company. Is your shredding company NAID AAA Certified? Do personnel undergo criminal background checks and drug screening? Does your shredding company have appropriate insurance?
3. Determine whether your documents are shredded on-site/at your location. Find out whether your confidential information is transported away for shredding elsewhere at a later date.
4. Confidential information to be destroyed is not trash. Confidential information must be protected even upon its disposal.

Identity theft, dumpster diving, corporate espionage, intellectual property theft, and trade secret misappropriation are frightening words that can be your reality if proper attention is not given to safeguarding the confidential information in your custody. Do not place any printed material in the trash. You do not have legal ownership of the trash that has been put out for pick up. You only have ownership of the liability for a breach that results when information is retrieved from the trash.

Protect yourself and keep your clients’ information protected by using a third-party professional document destruction partner to destroy your sensitive information in a timely manner. Destroying confidential documents should not be considered as only a one-time event but should be an ongoing service to make sure that your information is securely destroyed as soon as possible.

The following link from the Federal Trade Commission – Bureau of Consumer Protection Business Center Blog shows the importance of having procedures in place to monitor what your service providers are doing on your behalf. http://www.business.ftc.gov/blog/2014/01/50th-data-security-settlement-offers-golden-opportunity-check-your-practices

For the businesses and residences 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, Okeechobee, and Vero Beach, remember that no data (printed or digital) is too insignificant for a third party vendor to destroy because the risks are too great not to do so.

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | SHREDDING IN PORT SAINT LUCIE SHREDDING IN FORT PIERCE SHREDDING IN PALM
BEACH SHREDDING IN HOBE SOUND

SELECTSHRED | FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER IN CHOOSING A SECURE SHREDDING SERVICE

With the desire of many companies, medical facilities, and government agencies to become paperless, we realize that everyday someone is thinking about shredding paper with confidential information. From the residential customer to the commercial customer throughout the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach that seems to be a common thread. The great challenge remains for the customer and the right shredding company to connect—to find each other. With so many options of shredding companies, it is difficult to know how to choose the right company, to get the right price, and the right customer service that you deserve.

The following are five things to consider in choosing a secure shredding service:

1. Develop a Relationship. Even for a few minutes, it is worth the time and effort to meet with the representative from your prospective shredding service or have an extensive phone discussion. This will help you to understand the work ethic of the shredding company and enable the shredding company to develop a precise understanding of your needs.
2. Know Your Rights as a Customer. You should know how your confidential information will be destroyed, where it will be destroyed, who will destroy it, and when it will be destroyed. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure that the confidential in your charge has been securely handled in a timely manner by responsible persons.
3. Don’t fall for the lowest quote. The lowest quote is not necessarily a bad thing—it can be the result of a relationship or referral situation when the need for a special courtesy needs to be extended. If the lowest quote is just to do the job without genuine concern for customer service and for how your confidential information is handled and disposed of, there might be a cause for concern.
4. Use A NAID AAA Certified Company. Not all shredding companies are NAID AAA Certified but a shredding company that chooses to be NAID AAA Certified operates with strict industry standards. The individuals who are handling your confidential information have undergone initial and random drug/substance abuse screening, initial and periodic criminal record searches, driver record reviews, employee training, access control, and other factors required for NAID AAA Certification.
5. Get a Certificate of Destruction. The certificate of destruction is your legal record from a third party document destruction service. It is documentation that you have done everything you could do to safeguard your sensitive information. It is your proof of compliance for federal regulations such as FACTA, GLBA, and HIPAA.

Although we strive to be paperless, shredding confidential information will always remain a tool to fight identity theft and safeguard sensitive information. To help accomplish this important service, the ability to partner with a secure document destruction company is a must.

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING COMPANY FORT PIERCE SHREDDING COMPANY STUART SHREDDING COMPANY PALM CITY SHREDDING COMPANY

SELECTSHRED – FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION PARTNERSHIP

Having a document destruction company means that you have a third-party partner in your ongoing effort to fight identity theft, safeguard confidential information, protect individual privacy, and protect trade secrets and proprietary information. A secure, convenient, and economical document destruction service is the ally that you need to make sure that shredding your confidential documents will be given the same importance as any other service that is required to keep your business safe, secure, and profitable.

The following are five things to know about your document destruction partnership:

1. To know how your confidential information was destroyed; to know where it was destroyed; to know who destroyed it; and to know when it was destroyed.
2. To know that the legal chain of custody is not broken because your confidential information is destroyed at your location. It is not transported to a remote facility for sorting and destruction at a later date.
3. To know that you fulfilled your obligations to protect the confidential information in your custody, from its proper retention through its responsible destruction, by using a NAID AAA certified company.
4. To know that you are in compliance with federal regulations such as FACTA, GLBA, and HIPAA by having a secure document destruction program in place, including receiving a certificate of destruction for your record.
5. To know that you have an environmentally friendly policy because all of your shredded paper is recycled into new paper products and the shredded paper is not placed in the landfill. Your confidential information is shredded first and then recycled.

Building a relationship with your shredding provider will go a long way toward avoiding identity theft and information theft. Your shredding service is a necessary professional partnership. It will keep your business secure and prevent your confidential information from getting into the wrong hands. Never consider shredding documents as getting rid of trash. You should safeguard the confidential information in your custody in the same manner that you would protect any other asset.

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

INFORMATION DESTRUCTION—SHREDDING PAPER AND BEYOND

In addition to shredding paper with confidential information for protecting privacy and fighting identity theft, individuals and businesses are also charged with a lot more than destroying paper in the digital age. Computer hard drives, copier hard drives, cell phones, optical media (CDs/DVDs), thumb drives, digital tapes, memory chips, and credit/debit cards all need to be physically destroyed to avoid retrieval of the information contained on these media.

According to an investigative report done in 2010 by CBS News, it was reported that “Nearly every digital copier built since 2002 contains a hard drive — like the one on your personal computer — storing an image of every document scanned, copied, or emailed by the machine.” Many people understand that paper with confidential information, credit cards, and computer hard drives must be destroyed but many never think about the other media, like the copier hard drives that store personal or sensitive information.

Companies are charged with safeguarding all the confidential information in their custody. Regardless of the media that contains confidential information, the same level of accountability for protecting that information is expected due to federal privacy laws. When protecting information, it is important to think beyond shredding paper with confidential information to destroying other media containing sensitive information. Proper disposal of all media must be met.

HHS Settles with Health Plan in Photocopier Breach Case

Under a settlement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Affinity Health Plan, Inc. will settle potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules for $1,215,780. OCR’s investigation indicated that Affinity impermissibly disclosed the protected health information of up to 344,579 individuals when it returned multiple photocopiers to a leasing agent without erasing the data contained on the copier hard drives. In addition, the investigation revealed that Affinity failed to incorporate the electronic protected health information stored in copier’s hard drives in its analysis of risks and vulnerabilities as required by the Security Rule, and failed to implement policies and procedures when returning the hard drives to its leasing agents.

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. HHS.gov.

DID YOU KNOW? It is a company’s legal responsibility to properly dispose of any sensitive information stored on its digital copiers. (Source: Federal Trade Commission.) Follow this link to learn more:

http://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus43-copier-data-security

CALL US: (772) 463-3166

EMAIL US: INFO@SELECTSHRED.COM

SELECTSHRED | SHREDDING TO BE DONE–BOXES IN THE ATTIC

SELECTSHRED | PORT ST LUCIE SHREDDING COMPANY FORT PIERCE SHREDDING COMPANY

SELECTSHRED | STUART SHREDDING COMPANY PALM CITY SHREDDING COMPANY

Who knew that in Florida, the attic had such prominence in holding decades of stored files waiting to be shredded. Many stories have been told about the attic space.  An attic ladder had to be installed to access the space before the boxes of files could be safely retrieved and shredded. Recently, we heard that plywood had to be placed on the floor in an attic before the boxes of paper to be shredded could be retrieved because the last person in the attic fell through the ceiling – well, at least one foot fell through. Concerns were voiced over spontaneous combustion from the many years of file boxes of paper that remained hidden away in yet another attic.  Yes…a large amount of paper stored indefinitely is a fire hazard!!

It’s not only the attic but the garage has its share of importance with regard to storing important documents. Another person recently reported that boxes of paper to be shredded were stacked 8 feet high in the garage and fell onto the car. No serious damage was done. The file cabinet has its own share of drama because another reason given for shredding was that the file cabinet was so full that it fell over and broke an arm. This prompted the injured person to have the contents of the file cabinet shredded as soon as possible.

We continue to realize that a primary reason for individuals and businesses to shred is that they have run out of space at home or at the office. They are shredding because they no longer have room to store all of the boxes of paper accumulated over many years. Our goal is to inform you that for the security of your confidential information, you have to shred frequently and dispose responsibly. Avoid waiting for lack of storage space, property damage, personal injury, or fines to dictate that you properly secure and dispose of all sensitive information. Having a secure document destruction program in place is an ongoing process and not a one-time event that is months or years away. For the utmost security, use a NAID AAA Certified company to shred your confidential documents in your presence or at your location.

Richard Kinkead & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com