Does your business have filing cabinets filled to the brim with old, unnecessary files? Don’t just toss those files in the nearest recycling bin. You need to dispose of them properly. Those files should be professionally shredded.
Why Should You Shred Your Files?
Your business documents will likely have sensitive information on them. Throwing documents into the recycling bin or garbage can is a security risk. Unshredded documents are easily retrievable and readable. If the wrong person stumbles on those documents, it could lead to disastrous consequences.
What are some disastrous consequences of poor document disposal?
The Risks of Improper Document Disposal
Data Breaches
Improperly discarded documents that have personal or financial information on them can result in massive data breaches. For instance, if a document has an employee’s login credentials, then that information could be used to hack into the company’s system and access more confidential information.
Data breaches can lead to major losses in productivity, revenue and public reputation.
Identity Theft
Leaked personal information can be used to commit crimes like identity theft. If your business accidentally exposes the personal information of employees and clients to bad actors, you could be making them targets for identity theft and financial fraud.
Legal Liabilities
Many industries must comply with regulations for secure handling and disposal of sensitive information, whether that information is about employees or clientele/customers. Not complying with these regulations can result in legal consequences, like getting hit with a hefty fine.
For instance, Cornell Prescription Pharmacy was fined $125,000 for improperly disposing of paper records. These records contained confidential patient information. Since the documents were just thrown out in a public dumpster, this move was considered a breach of patient confidentiality and a violation of HIPAA.
How Can You Shred Your Files?
It’s clear that you need to shred your documents before disposing of them. Instead of using a basic office shredder to get rid of papers one-by-one, contact the professional document shredding company Absolute Destruction as soon as possible. This company has the equipment and expertise to completely shred documents so that they are unreadable.
The Benefits of Using a Shredding Company
A shredding company will do more than save your staff members from having to tackle the painstaking task of shredding documents in a small office shredder. These are some of the benefits that come with hiring this type of company:
Protection of Sensitive Information
Shredding will destroy the documents to the point that they are unreadable and beyond reconstruction. This will prevent bad actors from gleaning any sensitive information from them. Shredding companies can offer on-site document destruction for additional security.
Regulatory Compliance
A shredding company can help your business comply with regulations regarding the disposal of sensitive information. This can help you avoid violating these regulations and facing consequences like fines and lawsuits. You will receive a certificate of destruction once shredding is complete. The certificate can be used as evidence of regulatory compliance.
Environmental Commitment
A shredding company will recycle the documents once they have been sufficiently destroyed. Your business can support environmental sustainability and company security at the same time.
You don’t want to face the consequences of poor document disposal. Data breaches and regulatory violations would be disastrous. So, get rid of those documents properly with the help of professional shredders.