Keeping documents safe should be top of mind for every business, regardless of the industry. Paperwork laden with personnel information, client data, marketing strategies, business plans and financial materials is filled with information that can be harnessed to commit a data breach against your company. Falling into the wrong hands, this data could put customers and clients at risk of identity theft.
If you don’t currently securely destroy your company’s expired paperwork, you’re likely sidestepping the process due to some common misconceptions. Read on as we debunk these misunderstandings and highlight the importance of securely destroying your company papers.
You Might Need These Documents Later
Often, companies neglect to destroy papers under the assumption they’ll need them later. Yes, legal processes are in place covering the minimum hold times of different types of paperwork — and laws will vary based on your location and subject matter. But for the most part, it’s safe to say that once the hold time has elapsed, papers are safe to be shredded.
Actually, destroying expired papers instead of keeping them on-site removes an outlet for corruption, not to mention it provides valuable storage space.
Nobody Looks Through Old Paperwork
Criminals will exploit any avenue for corruption that’s available to them. They’ll go to great lengths to get their hands on any type of information that could be used for ill-intent — and so much so that the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists ‘dumpster diving’ as one way for criminals to steal someone’s personal information and commit identity theft.
For this reason alone, securing help from a professional shredding service like Absolute Destruction is key. This way, documents (and data) are securely shredded on-site through industrial shredders, rendering paperwork unsalvageable and beyond reconstruction.
Shredding Will Render Your Green Policy Null and Void
You’d be remiss to assume that recycling is your only option when it comes to managing old papers and keeping the environment in mind. In fact, partnering with a shredding company with a robust green policy is a great way to strengthen your green mandate.
You can even utilize and leverage your partnership with an environmentally responsible shredding company by promoting it to eco-savvy clients, consumers, and shareholders.
Only Huge Companies Require Shredding Services
Most shredding companies can come to you on a one-off basis or at regularly scheduled intervals. Frequency and volume is totally up to you.
Shredding In-House Is Just as Affective
Unfortunately, this simply isn’t the case. Most strips of paper created by smaller shredders can be pieced back together. And while the costs incurred in hiring a professional shredder might be an initial turn-off, they’re comparable to how much it would cost to pay a team member per hour to process documents and do the shredding themselves.
The Bottom Line
The gravity and importance of secure document destruction with a professional shredding company are often greatly misunderstood. Know that partnering with experienced shredders will keep sensitive papers safe, save team members time, and boost your green policy. Why not connect with a local company today to hear more?