SELECTSHRED | PAPER SHREDDING SERVICE IN PALM BEACH AND THE TREASURE COAST

SELECTSHRED—WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN BURNING CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS

All across the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach—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—people have said “we burn our confidential documents.” To name a few, lawyers, doctors, realtors and real estate appraisers have said it. They say that they don’t shred much and try to make an event of burning their sensitive information as they sit by the fireplace with a glass of wine or have a bonfire in the yard.

Thankfully, we have encountered those who have tried this practice of document destruction and finally gave up and sought the help of a shredding service. They have realized that with burning, part of the paper is not burned—leaving white paper with legible print, and part of the paper is scorched—leaving darkened paper with legible print. For the process to be complete, everything must be reduced to ashes. That’s right, burn and burn again…and again. Do you really have that much time or do you ever want to have that much time on your hands?

Burning, like the office shredder, is time-consuming and inefficient. Although burning is considered as an acceptable form of document destruction, does it really afford you the legal protection that you would need in the event of an alleged information security breach? Does the solo burn event or group burn event with friends and family provide you with a Certificate of Destruction for your record? Some would have you believe that a shredding company is too expensive for getting rid of confidential documents on a regular or one-time basis. However, a NAID AAA certified company provides a secure, economical and convenient service that provides you with the necessary compliance for federal regulations such as HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA.

Before you contemplate your next burn event, call your local shredding service and see how efficiently and effectively this service can do the job. Let’s think division of labor—you generate the paper and let the professionals shred it. Instead, you can have that wine beside the fireplace or the fire pit in the yard to celebrate that your sensitive information is all gone and you have proof (Certificate of Destruction). You are also helping the environment because all of your shredded material will be recycled to be reused in the form of new paper products.

As we like to say—Protecting People and Preserving the Environment—think about that before you start your next fire. Reach out to your local shredding company and find out how easy it can make the document destruction process for commercial and residential customers.

Richard & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED | SHREDDING IN STUART SHREDDING IN PALM CITY

SELECTSHRED-WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT

The raw numbers are staggering, as reported by the Ponemom Institute, that an estimated 1.84 million victims in the U.S. are affected by medical identity theft and that out-of-pocket medical costs incurred by medical identity theft victims are more than $12 billion. However, the consequences of medical identity theft are not only an inconvenience of money, time, and effort. The Ponemon Institute said that when personal medical records are compromised, it can result in misdiagnoses, wrong treatments or wrong prescriptions. These inaccurate medical records are all difficult to correct and threaten lives. It is also suggested that we become victims of medical identity theft by sharing personal health records with family members or friends or that these same individuals take this information without consent.  http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/medical-identity-theft-numbers-grow

Medical identity theft is about more than the hassle of time and cost to fix a credit report and get our lives back because our identity was stolen. The inaccurate information in our medical records can cost our lives. We are urged to check the explanation of benefits and report any unfamiliar claims.  We already know that we should never throw any medical records in the trash where dumpster divers can take the information for criminal use of our sensitive information. It is always prudent to shred any documents with our names, addresses, social security numbers, and health insurance numbers as well as all confidential information that can be misused in the wrong hands.

For all of us that are concerned about our safety and security, 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, remember that we should never think twice about properly shredding and discarding our confidential documents because the risks are too great not to do so. Not only is a good credit history at risk but our own lives are at risk when medical identity theft is involved.

Richard & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

MOBILE SHREDDING COMPANY SERVING Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, including from North Palm Beach to Fort Pierce

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WHY SMALL MEDICAL FACILITIES SHOULD EVALUATE THEIR document destruction program and SHREDDING POLICIES

Unfortunately, many small medical offices, including dentists’ offices, believe they are too small to use a shredding service and that the office shredder will suffice. Due to the awareness of identity theft, concerned citizens are reporting directly to law enforcement whenever they see medical records in the trash. On the other hand, the criminal-minded sees the opportunity that can come from having access to names, addresses, birthdates, diagnoses, and social security numbers.

A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report on medical identity theft stated that a thief may use patient names or health insurance numbers to see a doctor, get prescription drugs, file claims with insurance providers, or get other care. The FTC also said that if the thief’s health information is mixed with a patient’s information, the patient’s treatment, insurance and payment records, and credit report may be affected.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requires that medical staff be trained in confidential handling and destruction of patient information. All major healthcare centers, hospitals, outpatient facilities, insurance groups, and pharmacies must show compliance with HIPAA federal regulations.

A third party shredding service provides legal protection and proof of HIPAA compliance. Facilities with properly trained staff, a document destruction program in place, and a recurring shredding service are in the best position to combat medical identity theft, stop medical data breach, prevent HIPAA violations, and protect themselves from crippling penalties.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can impose penalties of $100 per violation and up to an annual maximum of $1.5 million. Criminal penalties can be up to $50,000 and one year in prison for obtaining or disclosing protected health information (PHI).

 DID YOU KNOW? The 2013 Survey on Medical Identity Theft conducted by Ponemon Institute  estimated that medical identity theft affects 1.84 million people in the U.S. and that healthcare organizations are just starting to recognize that medical identity theft is not just a patient problem but it is also a problem for healthcare organizations.

http://healthitsecurity.com/2013/09/17/how-can-healthcare-providers-prevent-medical-identity-fraud/

SELECTSHRED | MOBILE SHREDDING COMPANY SERVICING PALM BEACH AND THE TREASURE COAST

SELECTSHRED-MEDICAL FACILITIES SHOULD THINK TWICE ABOUT DISCARDING WHOLE OR SHREDDED MEDICAL RECORDS IN TRASH BINS OR RECYCLE BINS

It is hard to believe with all the media attention and heightened awareness that medical facilities would still put patient information in whole or shredded form in the trash or recycle bin where it can be seen and accessed by the wrong hands. Just because you have been doing it that way for many years (shredding in-house or recycling) and nothing bad has happened does not mean it won’t happen. A medical office manager said that she did not believe in dumpster divers because who would have that much time on their hands, but some people do have the time if they think the rewards will be great enough. Some medical personnel think they are doing a good deed to have a friend, family member, or student shred patient confidential information but the risks are too great for your facility if an information security breach were ever alleged and you do not have documentation on record such as a certificate of destruction. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can impose penalties of $100 per violation and up to an annual maximum of $1.5 million. Facilities are more likely to face fines and penalties if a HIPAA compliant program is not in place. The routine use of a NAID AAA certified on-site shredding company to destroy patients’ confidential information is an added layer of HIPAA compliance.

Unfortunately, many small medical offices, including dentists’ offices, believe they are too small to use a shredding service and that the office shredder will suffice. Due to the awareness of identity theft, concerned citizens are reporting directly to law enforcement whenever they see medical records in the trash.

http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/samaritan-deems-medical-records-found-in-recycle-bin-an-isolated/article_7f58f2e2-f96f-11e2-85a3-001a4bcf887a.html

On the other hand, the criminal-minded sees the opportunity that can come from having access to names, addresses, birthdates, diagnoses, and social security numbers. A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report on medical identity theft stated that a thief may use patient names or health insurance numbers to see a doctor, get prescription drugs, file claims with insurance providers, or get other care. The FTC also said that if the thief’s health information is mixed with a patient’s information, the patient’s treatment, insurance and payment records, and credit report may be affected.

For all the various types of medical facilities 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, remember that no facility is too small to use a third party vendor to destroy its confidential documents because the risks are too great not to do so.

Richard & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

SELECTSHRED OFFERS TIPS

TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT, FINES AND PENALTIES

OVER IMPROPER DESTRUCTION AND DISPOSAL OF CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS

STUART, Florida/October 22, 2013 – The experts at SelectShred, Inc., a locally owned and operated company that provides secure on-site document shredding and on-site hard drive destruction service throughout Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties, say this is the time of the year to reassess your compliance with a variety of regulations on document security. Especially if your business is in or related to healthcare, government operations, and financial services, or if your business uses consumer credit information.

“Today, everyone is aware of the significant impact identity theft can have on personal finances. However, with changing laws and regulations related to identity theft, many businesses are not aware of their liability should they be connected, even inadvertently, to identity theft,” said Richard Kinkead, co-founder, SelectShred, Inc.  According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, identity theft has become the world’s fastest-growing crime.

Three major laws and the liabilities of identity theft are forcing a number of businesses to reassess the way they handle and discard sensitive documents. The penalties associated with violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) are significant and affect a wide range of business practices.

“Lawyers, banks and financial services, all health care providers and, in some cases, even the vendors who service those types of businesses, face liability costs, civil fines, and monetary penalties. For example, HIPAA penalties can be $100 per violation and up to an annual maximum of $1.5 million,” added Kinkead. “Criminal penalties are also possible up to $50,000 and one year in prison for obtaining or disclosing protected health information. That includes a practice, business, or business owner who simply tosses whole records or reconstructable shredded records into a trash bin or a recycling bin,” noted Kinkead.

SelectShred offers the following tips to make sure your business is not setting up a scenario for fines and imprisonment for failing to properly destroy sensitive documents and media, including computer hard drives and copier hard drives.

Always use a National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) AAA Certified on-site/mobile shredding service and shred the following:

• All accounting and financial documentation
• All customer support documentation
• All human resource documentation
• All sales and marketing documentation
• All operations and technical support documentation
• Any material that includes your company name or customer information
  • All correspondence such as memos, letters, business cards, credit card information
• All e-mails and fax correspondence
  • Reports, records, files, studies, analyses, bids, budgets, forecasts, blueprints, associated files and records, support and training material, diskettes, videotapes, CDs, microfiche, transparencies, photos, carbon paper, etc.
• Proprietary business information.

Remember, if your business is a hospital or medical practice, protected health information (PHI) should be shredded. This includes:

• IV bag label with patient’s name and name of drug
• Daily patient lists maintained by floor nurses
• Drug vials and prescriptions
• Databases used in research labs
• Billing information
• Registration records
• Lab reports
• EKGs, EEGs, and other medical device printouts
• MRI and Radiology film and/digital prints
• Ultrasound reports

“It is important that business owners and managers know recycling documents is not secure document destruction because the ‘chain of custody’ is broken. You cannot guarantee what leaves your business for recycling is actually destroyed. Shred onsite first – then recycle,” said Kinkead.

SelectShred’s professional onsite shredding approach ensures that documents are destroyed before leaving the client’s site.  This eliminates the potential liability for those documents as well as the need to further monitor discarded confidential information. Most document security experts suggest that companies that use haul-away shredding services – including recycling companies – face increased risk and liability.

“Even self-shredding (the practice of using office shredders) cannot produce the same level of security as professional on-site document destruction. Also, supporting documentation is critical for demonstrating best business practices and for showing that reasonable measures were taken should a company experience an alleged information security breach in the future and face penalties, fines, or prosecution” concluded Kinkead.

For a free analysis of your information breach liability and to identify red flags, contact SelectShred, Inc. today. SelectShred, Inc. is a locally owned and operated company that provides secure on-site document shredding and on-site hard drive destruction service throughout Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. SelectShred staff is committed to providing quality mobile document destruction service and superb customer service. SelectShred issues a Certificate of Destruction for your compliance records following every service. This certificate documents that you have a compliant and secure document destruction program in place.

SelectShred can provide assistance in reviewing and preparing written document destruction policies and procedures, as well as assist in staff training for your secure document destruction program. For more information call (772) 463-3166 or visit the SelectShred website at www.SelectShred.com. SelectShred – Protecting People and Preserving the Environment.

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SELECTSHRED | MOBILE SHREDDING COMPANY SERVICING PALM BEACH AND THE TREASURE COAST

SELECTSHRED-FOR SECURE DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION, SHREDDING AND RECYCLING ARE NOT THE SAME

Everyone wants to be green and it’s a good thing. However, when it comes to making sure that you are compliant with the federal laws and regulations that govern your industry and when you are charged with fulfilling the obligations of safeguarding the confidential information in your custody, you should destroy first and then recycle. For all the businesses and individuals on the Treasure Coast and in the Palm Beaches, the word of warning is shred first―then recycle. Recycling without first destroying confidential media is not a secure method of disposing of confidential information and renders a business vulnerable to the liabilities and penalties of information security breaches.

Businesses are required and obligated by laws and regulations(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-HIPAA, Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act-FACTA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act-GLBA) 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. Material sent for recycling is often manually sorted in usable and intact form, rendering that confidential information vulnerable to misuse. Recycling also provides no documentation that confidential information has been securely destroyed.

The practice of using recycling as a method of discarding confidential information will not provide appropriate legal protection in case of an information security breach. Recycling will not provide a certificate of destruction but an on-site third party shredding service will provide a certificate of destruction and prove that a business took all reasonable measures to avoid an information security breach and will also provide appropriate legal protection. Don’t let sensitive information get into the wrong hands. Recycling can present the same vulnerabilities as putting confidential information in the trash.

To everyone in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, 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, remember you are still green when you shred first with a reputable, responsible mobile shredding service because all shredded materials are recycled into new paper products.

Richard & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED-SHREDDING IN PORT ST. LUCIE SHREDDING IN FORT PIERCE

SelectShred is enjoying shredding in Port St. Lucie. The businesses and residents of St. Lucie County know a good deal when they see one but most of all they are concerned about shredding their confidential documents in a secure manner. Businesses and individuals in Port St. Lucie are watching their budgets like everyone throughout the Treasure Coast but they want to do the right thing every time. Continue making the good calls of shredding securely, conveniently, and economically.

Whether you have one box in the closet, ten boxes in the attic, or hundreds of boxes in storage, SelectShred is ready and able to get the job done. Service with a smile might be cliché but that is how we roll and we want to continue rolling into the lives of those on the Treasure Coast by doing our part to help them remain safe from the dumpster divers and all those who fight to rob them of their peace of mind. Our goal is to build relationships along the way and be there to help with your one-time purges or recurring shredding service. Sensitive information should never be allowed to get into the wrong hands. All of us – businesses and individuals – have information to keep safe from the cradle to the grave. Social security numbers, driver’s license information, credit card information, bank statements, tax records are just a few of the important documents to safeguard and to destroy securely when no longer needed.

We continue to reach out to all our future customers from Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, 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 to call today and shred wisely by making sure that your confidential documents are shredded in your presence.

Richard & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

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SELECTSHRED- MOBILE SHREDDING IN PORT ST LUCIE AND MOBILE SHREDDING FORT PIERCE- WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER A CONSOLE

SelectShred is encouraging businesses to consider a console. We think that for as low as pennies a day a shredding console could provide offices in Palm Beach County, Martin County, St. Lucie County, and Indian River County with another way of thinking about document security. Unimaginable security and peace of mind await you on the Treasure Coast and beyond. We want to encourage more offices to stop hoarding hundreds of boxes to be shredded at some distant time in the future. Most importantly, save time and money by not feeding the office shredder. We believe that there is a console worth of security and peace of mind in your future. Service is customized to fit your needs on a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly service. You are only billed when we empty the console and no service contracts are necessary.

A console will secure your confidential documents until they are shredded at your location by our security screened and trained document security technician. The console is 35”Hx19”Wx19”D. Not only are your documents protected in a free lockable and secured container, the console is aesthetically pleasing and blends into any office environment. As you move toward your paperless office and scan your confidential documents, a console can securely keep your documents until they are shredded. A console and a recurring mobile shredding service can help you to be compliant with federal regulations and avoid fines, worry, and lost reputation by safeguarding the confidential information in your possession. All shredded paper is recycled into new paper products.

We reach out to all our future customers from Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Sewall’s Point, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens to call today and a console will be delivered promptly.

Richard & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com

SELECTSHRED NEWS-JUN 2013 ON SITE SHREDDING SERVING PALM BEACH AND THE TREASURE COAST 

SELECTSHRED NEWS JUNE 2013

ON SITE SHREDDING SERVING PALM BEACH AND THE TREASURE COAST

DEFINING THE PRODUCTS OF A DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION SERVICE

Considering that document destruction is a service, we also need to realize that the products of a shredding service are security, convenience and economy. Although a good shredding company will stress the importance of security to its clients, most clients are more concerned with convenience and economy.

Security should be the cornerstone of your document destruction program. If you are not using a secure document destruction service, you are probably only recycling your paper with confidential information, casually discarding it, or it is simply hanging around the office in unsecured boxes waiting for a time for you to call a shredding company.  The most secure way is to use a NAID AAA certified company, use locked containers for your confidential documents, and have those documents shredded at your location.

Convenience is important but don’t just have your documents transported away to be  shredded at another facility at a later date. Have your designated staff members witness the shredding at your location and receive a certificate of destruction for your record in case of a complaint, an audit, or a security breach.

Everyone has a budget and is watching the dollar. However, do not be penny wise and pound foolish. The lowest estimate is usually not the wisest move to make. Always consider building a relationship with your shredding company, look at qualifications, and know your rights as a client for a reputable document destruction company. Some people are not sure where their documents are shredded.  You should know!

Building a relationship with your shredding provider will go a long way to avoiding identity theft and information theft.

Products of Document Destruction  Service: Security, Convenience, Economy

Think SECURITY first — then Convenience and Economy for the utmost protection and destruction of your confidential documents.

DID YOU KNOW?

The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) has been the industry’s association since 1992. It is an international organization with about 30% of NAID membership outside the U.S. 

MOBILE SHREDDING COMPANY SERVING Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, including from North Palm Beach to Fort Pierce

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Throughout the nation, and in our areas of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, including from North Palm Beach to Fort Pierce, it’s a battle every day to stay ahead of the identity thieves and dumpster divers as they continue to rob us of our sense of security and peace of mind. The right thing to do and always the most secure action to take is to destroy all confidential information that is not necessary for keeping longer than you should. Let’s start with those credit card offer letters that always appear in the mailbox. They seem so harmless but don’t leave them hanging around forever.  Shred them.  If you have them tucked away year after year, along with numerous other documents, then you will need your onsite shredding shredding/mobile shredding company to go to your location and shred those documents before they get into the wrong hands.  Here is a list of some other sensitive information you should shred: credit/debit card receipts, old tax records, insurance records, bank statements, cancelled checks, health records, financial documents, and all other documents with your social security number and driver’s license number. If there is no reason to keep these confidential documents—shred them. For the large and seemingly insurmountable pile of information that you have accumulated over the years, use a mobile shredding service.  It will be gone in no time.  Just double check that you really don’t need the information because when it is hoisted into the shred truck it is gone for good. The only way the paper is coming back to you is in the form of new paper products. Just remember that you cannot afford to throw your confidential information in the garbage and hope for the best and think nothing bad will happen.  SelectShred is here to help you conquer the clutter, achieve security, and shred those old documents. It is more economical and convenient than you think to have the sense of security and the peace of mind that you deserve.  All our friends from Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach,  Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens, let’s get serious and shred all those old and unnecessary records. You cannot put a price on peace of mind.  Shred securely, shred frequently, and discard responsibly.

Richard & Gloria Kinkead

SelectShred, Inc.

T: (772) 463-3166

info@selectshred.com