Confidential documents improperly disposed of led to over 30.4 million compromised documents in 2011 (FTC). That is 304,000,000 pieces of paper containing credit card numbers, social security numbers, addresses, names, phone numbers, and the like. To combat paper document leaks, organizations have been enlisting the services of document destruction companies, companies that provide safe and secure document shredding, both mobile or ‘on-site’ shredding and plant-based shredding, in a secure and controlled environment. For years, companies chose mobile destruction for the simple fact that the shredding could be witnessed by a company representative, however, recent trends indicate plant-based paper shredding is becoming the number one choice of organizations. Although both methods of paper shredding are safe and secure, plant-based shredding offers companies many benefits that cannot be matched by a mobile shredding operation. Many of these benefits came about because of the AAA Certification offered from the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID).
Controlled Environment
Natural elements are uncontrollable and unpredictable. Weather plagues mobile shredding trucks with problems. During a windy day, the process of opening and dumping or tipping that container into a mobile shredding truck creates a vulnerability to lost documents. Picture an employee chasing down papers blowing in the wind across a parking lot. Plant-based destruction eliminates weather as a concern, as all containers remained sealed and locked until the documents are ready for destruction inside a secured building, free from the elements.
National Association for Information Destruction and the Federal Trade Commission
With a AAA Certified destruction process from NAID, a complete and impenetrable chain of custody for sensitive documents is created. Upon destruction, a signed certificate of destruction is issued that meets all Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements. After all, knowing where your documents are at all times in an important step in preventing a catastrophic data breach.
Witness the Destruction
Providing visual evidence of destruction, AAA Certified destruction companies employ video surveillance systems that record and store video of operations for a minimum of 90 days. This video is essential to eliminate possible breaches and provides companies with evidence and a lasting record of the destruction. This video record is not always available with mobile shredding operations and may prove useful during compliance audits. For those who wish to view the physical destruction of their documents, viewing windows are often available to allow a first-hand look at their documents being shredded.
Leave Nothing to Chance
Companies are choosing plant-based destruction for its security benefits and its review-ability. These benefits, along with the environmentally friendly manner in which plant-based destruction occurs, many companies are making the switch.
DataShield is proud to offer a NAID AAA Certified plant-based document destruction where documents are not only shredded, they are pulverized. DataShield is able to control the size of output using interchangeable screens. From ¼” up to 2”, the screen is used to determine the size that documents are shredded to, giving the client full control of final size of output.
DataShield also holds a NAID AAA Certification for plant-based and mobile hard drive and media shredding operations. DataShield’s state of the art mobile shredding units fit through a standard sized doorway allowing DataShield the unique ability to shred hard drives and media right in your IT office. When combined with secure document destruction, hard drive and media shredding delivers a knockout punch to data breaches, securing both paper documents and electronic media, leaving nothing to chance.
Blog by: Matt Neuhaus-Operations Manager
