14 Sep National Preparedness Month: Is Your Sensitive Information Ready for the Unexpected?
September is National Preparedness Month, and just like staying on top of autumn leaves, it’s time for individuals, families and businesses to think ahead and prepare for the unexpected.
For a business, being prepared can mean having an emergency plan, protecting critical records and knowing how you’ll keep operating when something doesn’t go according to plan.
But there’s another part of preparedness that can easily be overlooked: what happens to sensitive information you no longer need?
For more than 17 years, On-Site Confidential Shredding has helped businesses, healthcare facilities, government institutions and homeowners securely destroy sensitive documents and media. Serving Rockland County, the Hudson Valley, Bergen County, Greenwich, CT, and surrounding areas throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, we bring secure destruction directly to you.
This National Preparedness Month, make information security part of your plan.
Start With the Records You Already Have
Businesses generate a lot of information.
Customer records. Employee documents. Financial paperwork. Tax records. Applications. Invoices. Medical information. Contracts. Old hard drives. CDs. Archived files.
Some of it needs to be retained. Some of it doesn’t.
The IRS notes that how long a business should keep a document depends on the action, expense or event the document records. Employment tax records, for example, generally must be retained for at least four years.
Before destroying business records, always check the federal, state, industry and organizational requirements that apply to you.
But once you’ve determined that sensitive information no longer needs to be retained, leaving it sitting around indefinitely can create an unnecessary risk.
When It’s Time to Destroy It, Do It Securely
An old document isn’t necessarily a harmless document.
Names. Addresses. Account information. Social Security numbers. Medical information. Employee data. Customer records.
Information that no longer serves a purpose for your business can still be valuable in the wrong hands.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Disposal Rule requires businesses and individuals covered by the rule to take appropriate measures when disposing of information derived from consumer reports. Shredding paper so that information cannot be read or reconstructed is one method specifically identified by the FTC.
That’s where On-Site Confidential Shredding can help.
Instead of sensitive documents leaving your property intact, our mobile shredding equipment comes directly to your location. Your documents can be securely destroyed right at your business, facility or home.
For organizations throughout Bergen County, Rockland County, the Hudson Valley, Greenwich and surrounding communities, that means convenient local service without sacrificing security.
Healthcare Organizations Have Even More to Consider
For healthcare providers and other organizations handling protected health information, secure disposal takes on additional importance.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that HIPAA-covered entities must use appropriate safeguards when disposing of protected health information.
For paper records containing PHI, HHS identifies shredding, burning, pulping and pulverizing as examples of methods that can render information essentially unreadable and unable to be reconstructed.
And paper isn’t the only concern.
HHS also addresses the proper disposal of electronic PHI and the hardware and electronic media on which it is stored.
On-Site Confidential Shredding destroys more than paper. Our mobile destruction services can also handle hard drives, x-rays, compact discs, video tapes, floppy disks, photographs, microfilm and other materials.
It’s one more reason healthcare facilities and other organizations with sensitive information turn to On-Site Confidential for secure destruction.
Add Secure Destruction to Your September Checklist
National Preparedness Month is a great opportunity to ask a few important questions:
- Do we know which records we need to retain?
- Are important documents and data properly protected?
- Are expired records accumulating in offices or storage areas?
- Does our staff know what should be shredded instead of thrown away?
- Are old hard drives or other electronic media sitting around?
- Do we have a regular process for securely destroying confidential information?
- Do we know who to call when we have a large quantity of material that needs to be securely destroyed?
If any of those questions give you pause, September is a good time to address them.
Local Service. On-Site Security. More Than 17 Years of Experience.
When you’re dealing with confidential information, convenience shouldn’t come at the expense of security.
That’s why On-Site Confidential Shredding comes to you.
From a corporate office in Bergen County to a healthcare facility in Rockland County, a business in the Hudson Valley, or a customer in Greenwich, Connecticut, our mobile equipment allows confidential documents and media to be destroyed right at your location.
Our services include:
- Mobile paper shredding
- Hard drive destruction
- X-ray destruction
- CD and video tape destruction
- Destruction of additional sensitive media
- Commercial and residential service
- Environmentally responsible disposal practices
You get the convenience of local mobile service, the security of on-site destruction and the experience of a company that has been helping customers protect sensitive information for more than 17 years.
Be Prepared. Protect What Matters.
National Preparedness Month is ultimately about thinking ahead.
Protect the information you need. Know how long you need to keep it. And when it’s finally time for sensitive documents and media to go, make sure they’re destroyed securely.
On-Site Confidential Shredding proudly serves Rockland County, the Hudson Valley, Bergen County, Greenwich, CT, and surrounding communities throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Ready to make secure document destruction part of your preparedness plan? Contact On-Site Confidential Shredding today for a free quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Preparedness Month?
National Preparedness Month is observed each September and encourages individuals, communities and organizations to prepare for emergencies and unexpected events. For businesses, September can also be a useful reminder to review business continuity, important records and information-security practices.
Why should document destruction be part of business preparedness?
Preparedness isn’t only about keeping important information safe. It’s also about managing sensitive information throughout its lifecycle. Once confidential documents or media have reached the end of their required retention period, securely destroying them can help reduce unnecessary exposure of customer, employee, financial or other sensitive information.
How long should my business keep its records?
There isn’t one retention period for every type of record. The IRS says the length of time depends on what the document records. Employment tax records, for example, generally need to be kept for at least four years. Always check applicable legal, regulatory and business requirements before destroying records.
Why use on-site shredding?
With on-site shredding, the destruction process comes to you. On-Site Confidential Shredding uses mobile shredding technology to destroy sensitive materials at your location, providing a convenient option for businesses and homeowners who don’t want confidential information transported elsewhere intact.
Does On-Site Confidential Shredding only destroy paper?
No. On-Site Confidential Shredding can securely destroy hard drives, x-rays, compact discs, video tapes, floppy disks, photographs, microfilm and other materials in addition to paper documents.
Does On-Site Confidential Shredding work with healthcare organizations?
Yes. With more than 17 years of experience, On-Site Confidential Shredding serves healthcare facilities as well as corporate accounts, government institutions and residential customers.
What areas does On-Site Confidential Shredding serve?
On-Site Confidential Shredding provides mobile shredding and destruction services throughout Rockland County, the Hudson Valley, Bergen County, Greenwich, Connecticut, and surrounding areas throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
What are the benefits of choosing On-Site Confidential Shredding?
Customers get secure destruction performed at their location, convenient mobile service, the ability to destroy paper as well as a variety of electronic and other media, environmentally responsible disposal practices and more than 17 years of experience in the shredding industry.