'Tis the Season to Shred Your Confidential Files

  • Dec 09, 2011

In the rush of the holiday season it can be easy to put aside important day-to-day tasks like information management an security. But, keeping records organized and properly disposing of documents is key to protecting your valuable information. Experts at Stevens & Stevens Business Records Management, Inc. say the best solution is to properly shred the confidential information.

"No matter what your business, chances are you have files that, at some point, must be disposed of and in today's society, shredding is a necessity," said Marshall Stevens, co-owner of Stevens & Stevens Business Records Management, Inc., a Florida-based full-service records management center specializing in secure records destruction. "Businesses go through mounds of paper on a daily basis and a records management plan that incorporates shredding can ensure an outcome that's secure for your business."

Stevens says there are a number of benefits to shredding old files:
 •Compliance with state and federal laws – Shredding helps businesses comply with numerous records management laws, among them are the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA). These laws require that certain paper waste such as medical records, salary details or personal address details, must legally be disposed of. Such records must be kept up to date and must also be shredded at the proper time.
•Protection from business identity theft – Business identity theft is becoming more and more common. If confidential information isn't shredded and properly destroyed, the results can be devastating for a business.
•Protection for the environment – Paper products pack our landfills, pollute our air and use countless trees and gallons of water. The more we can reuse our paper waste, the better off our environment will be.

Having a shredding schedule is a simple way to stay organized with your paper records, plus you'll be reassured it's being disposed of in a secure manner.

SOURCE: Stevens & Stevens Business Records Management, Inc.

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