Tag Archives: paper shredding service

Paper Shredding Limerick & The Importance of Uniforms

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Security in Shredding Data Protection Law

Our data processing team operate a confidential shredding service in uniform throughout all our Limerick based clients. Uniforms also exist outside the workplace, Limerick GAA (the shannonsiders) iconic green jersey can also be considered a uniform. The reasons for wearing a uniform do have their benefits which are listed below.

Uniforms for Corporate Branding

Having a distinctive uniforms in the colours associated with the company can assist in the establishment of an impression in the mind of the consumer. Security in Shredding’s uniforms help to identify its employee’s as individuals who are associated with it and its services, and it helps to brand the company by distinguishing it from the competition. Consistency in employee’s appearance can create a positive impression on the customer and contribute to the projection of the Security in Shredding’s corporate image.

Uniforms for Portraying Competence

Uniforms can enable customers to identify employees eliminating the possibility of a customer mistakenly asking a member of the public for help. Employees wearing a uniform encourage confidence in the client by portraying the individual is a professional with service knowledge and an eagerness to help. A uniform puts the force of the corporate reputation behind the individual, making him look reliable and trustworthy as a company representative.

Uniforms to Promote Security

Just as a Gardaí or Army uniform identifies an officer, Security in Shredding’s uniform identifies its employees who are out onsite conducting a service call or delivery to a client’s premises.

Uniforms to Eliminate Dress Codes

Having a compulsory requirement for Security in Shredding’s employees to wear its uniform eliminates the need for creating and enforcing a dress code. Enforcing a dress code can lead to hard feelings on the part of employees who are told that their attire is not appropriate for the workplace.

Overall it is important to Security in Shredding that its employees are always dressed in uniform for their job roles and are neat and tidy at all times. Security in Shredding provide a professional and secure data destruction service nationwide.

secure document destruction limerick.

Your data security is our priority. We operate throughout Limerick and Limerick county. We also provide on site shredding in all major cites in Ireland. For more information on a secure document shredding service, please visit our site for more information.

Why Company’s Need To Address Improper Document & Data Disposal

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Secure document shredding specialists deal with physical and digital data on a regular bases. How we handle this data is important to ensure confidentially. Confidential shredding and data protection go hand in hand to prevent data breaches occurring.

It is widely known that employees and hackers are biggest cause of data breaches. There have being high profile hacking cases involving employees inappropriately clicking on links that  permits the hackers access to the organisations network and software system.

In order to have an appropriate confidential document and data disposal system in place, you should firstly contact a service provider whom has ample experience in the industry with a 100% clean track record (i.e. an occurrence of zero data breaches). Such a Data Service Provider will be able to answer all your queries and concerns regarding how to implement a secure and efficient document management system – all the way to end of life documents as well as in-house training of staff and policies and procedures. “At the end of the day, you are relying on employees to manage confidential documents in a secure and confidential manner.”

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In order for one to have piece of mind, a training programme should be established for the induction and on-going training (in-house) for the organisations employees. When the employees understand the importance of efficient and accurate Data Management and Data Protection Legislation; it minimises the risk of a data breach.

When the data reaches its end of life, it needs to be securely disposed of. This is where a certified professional Data Processor like Security in Shredding provides (at the clients choice) onsite and/or offsite data destruction. A company such as Security in Shredding are specialists in the entire area of Data Management. They have an unblemished record and provide a professional, certified and recognised data destruction services.

In order for an organisation to maximise compliance in the workplace, proper appropriate disposal of information has to be made easily accessible for the employee.

Security in Shredding do not recommend placing a recycling bin in close proximity to a printer of copying machine for example as employees can easily discard the unwanted copies or data into the recycling bin. However, Security in Shredding can implement secure lockable consoles throughout the building in specific locations as requested by the organisation and also in close proximity to the copying or printer machines.

If you wish to have a conversation with any of our Data Consultant Specialists, you can pick up the phone and dial +67 24848 or email us at info@securityinshredding.com.

6 Steps To Improve Your Data Security

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Data is King. Protecting your data comes in many forms. Your confidential document shredding specialist will securely destroy any sensitive documents. Data protection is equally important as data destruction. IBM are a leading High Tech company and provide you with relevant information and software to improve your security.

IBM Security solutions for data security and privacy provide a holistic approach that helps prevent data loss while enabling data access to support business operations, growth and innovation. These solutions help you ensure regulatory compliance, defend against internal and external attacks, and can lower storage and data management costs.

IBM Security solutions for data security and privacy enable a layered approach to achieving data security that helps you:

  • Understand and classify sensitive data: Understand where data resides, how it is related and how to define security and privacy policies. What data is sensitive and what data is not must be established.
  • Assess vulnerabilities: Detect database vulnerabilities and harden repositories. Be aware of paper data is stored. Add a lock to a room or cabinet to add an extra layer of security.
  • Monitor and audit: Monitor transactions to enforce policies and capture a detailed audit trail. Any printed documents with sensitive data must be destroyed once the document life cycle is complete.
  • Prevent unauthorised database activities: Block, quarantine or mask transactions that violate policy. With paper data limit who can access sensitive data management or senior staff.
  • Protect sensitive data: Encrypt structured and unstructured sensitive data, mask or redact sensitive data in documents and forms, and encrypt data in storage.
  • Manage access: Manage privileges and authenticate users to limit data access.

IBM also provide a free software for you to assess and detect vulnerabilities. The software will detect weak passwords, any misconfiguration on your database. Read more about it here: https://www-03.ibm.com/software/products/en/security-guardium-vulnerability-assessment  

While IBM methods deal with digital data the crossovers and similarities can be applied to your paper data. Paper shredding services will also offer digital data protection and knowledge. Knowing these risks and implementing the steps to prevent a data breach will benefit your business or organisation in the long run.

Technology terminology can be confusing to understand but implementing security measures for digital devices is pretty straight forward. For more information on a data protection and security please contact us or visit our site for more information.

Organising Paper, Sensitive Data & Clear Out Shredding

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Secure Document Shredding specialists are recommended for large quantity clear out shredding. That being said it, happens to the best of us, we get a document and say “I’ll deal with it later” and set the document aside. We go back to our work and another document will be given to us or another one is added or set aside. It doesn’t take long before a pile starts to build and the less likely that pile gets dealt with. When we decide to deal with it, the pile has become a more daunting task to clear

If the pile is not organised there is a danger of confidential or secure documents being lost in the pile and data breaches can occur if gotten into the wrong hands.

Ideally setting up an organisation plan before the clutter starts to build makes it easier to implement this process. Clutter for one is an eye sore. Its messy, not organised and can cause stress to you and your office

The dread comes from knowing you need to deal with it, but not necessarily knowing exactly how to deal with the quantity and feeling overwhelmed by what feels like an enormous task.

A single piece of paper is easy to deal with but this post is more to deal with when a pile has accumulated into clutter stack.

Knowing and separating your confidential documents is a starting point. View our What to Shred list and see what documents can contain sensitive data.

Daily & Weekly Paperwork Routine Is Essential To Long-Term Paper Organisation & Reducing Risk Of Data Breach

Actions such as: (1) bin it right away; (2) delegate it to someone else; (3) file it for future reference (meaning no action is currently needed with this paper); or (4) keep it to take some type of action on.

Examples of papers that come into your office that require you to take action include invoices, tax forms, bank statements etc.

This type of confidential paper is often left aside to be worked or filled in at a later stage, creating a “to do pile.” The longer this pile is left to accumulate the bigger the pile becomes creating more stress and clutter. While also being a security risk as a data breach could occur if these documents came into the wrong hands.

Adopting a “Clean Desk Policy” is a good step to deal with clutter and prevent piles from building. Working on documents on a daily basis is a good first step. Do a little everyday will be a lot in the long run. The daily routine will become a weekly routine.

When you combine the daily and weekly routines together the total system for paper organisation will be complete.

What To Do In The Weekly Paperwork Session

The weekly paperwork session is not complicated. First, choose a day that suits your schedule. Doesn’t matter what time or day you choose as long as you do it consistently.

Once you’ve decided on the day, all you do is grab the stack of paperwork that has accumulated over the course of the week on the day you’ve chosen, and now you sit down and tackle it, one piece of paper at a time.

Do the paper work in batches. Deal with enough confidential documents that reduces the pile. It is still business as usual when dealing with the pile, paper is still going to be added but again as long as the pile is getting smaller than bigger is what we desire.

You should consider doing the following tasks during your weekly paperwork session:

  • Pay bills
  • Make phone calls that are necessary about bills, or other information that comes in during the week
  • Reconcile your bank account, confirming what checks cleared during the past week and that all deposits are credited to the account, etc.
  • Make any necessary money transfers between bank accounts.
  • Confirm everything appears to be working normally as it relates to automatic withdrawals and automatic bill pay for your accounts.
  • De clutter, organize and file that week’s receipts.
  • File paid bills and other filing that has accumulated during the week.
  • Deal with any other documents confidential or otherwise.
  • Adding dates to your calendar, both from papers or emails you’ve received.

These tasks deal with paper data but digital data is equally as important to deal with. Responding to emails and other on line services should also be part of your document organisation schedule.

It doesn’t matter how big a pile has accumulated, a paperwork session is about good habit forming done regularly each week.

Once paper organisation habit has formed, it creates a better management of document life cycle and spot potential data breaches and mistakes in the documents.

Off Site Shredding Service Can Handle Large Quantities

Clutter can be dealt with on you desk and around you. There is also an option of availing of a Clear out Shredding Service. Old or archived documents that no longer serve a purpose that may be in a clutter pile can easily be dealt with by our services.

Security In Shredding offers both On Site Document Shredding and Off Site Document Shredding Ireland. We can handle large quantities of paper and shred them securely. If you want that pile removed quickly and remove the data breach risk immediately,

please contact our team today and visit our site. We operate our Confidential Shredding in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork areas and the rest of Ireland.

Summer Holidays? Tips to Maintain Data Security When You Work

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data security when on holiday

Who doesn’t enjoy a holiday or time off. Scheduling a paper shredding service before the holiday or time off is recommended. This will help give a piece of mind that you are protecting your data and let you enjoy your holiday.

In today’s world employees pack their work tablets and have their smartphones with them when going on vacation/ holiday.

There are a number of employees who don’t like to fall behind in their work and like to stay connected wherever they travel to. This is possible due to the ever improving technology of wireless internet, smartphones, laptops, and tablets. These technologies have made it increasingly easier to work from home and from the side of the pool!!

But organisations may forget the importance of data security regarding these mobile devices. Many organisations have policies in place where by employees BYOD (bring your own device) and this permits the employee to use one single device for both work and personal purposes.

The upside is while employees remain productive outside of the office 24/7, the downside is that they can access corporate data from anywhere. The negative impact this will have is it increases the risk of data breach incidents and has created a whole new area of information security policies.

Security in Shredding have a few tips to ensure the confidential business information employee’s work on outside of the office remains secure;

  • Implement a Bring Your Own Device Policy and by doing so you are creating a culture in your organisation.
  • Implement a schedule regarding the organisations protection software whereby on set dates throughout the year the software is updated.
  • “Provide employee training and regular refresher training regarding information security best practises outside the office.”
  • Prior to leaving the office for a vacation, ensure to only take documents that are extremely necessary regardless of a hard copy of digital copy.
  • Only under extreme circumstances should you print confidential documents from electronic means outside the office.
  • If one must print off a hard copy, ensure that all documents are securely destroyed. At mentioned earlier scheduling a paper shredding or bag collection may be needed.

You can speak with a member of Security in Shredding’s Data Management Consultants for further information. Our mobile paper shredding service is available for scheduling.

 

4 Reasons Why A Paper Shredding Service Is Needed

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Security In Shredding on site service

Paper shredding or document shredding is vital for protecting confidential and sensitive information / data. Most of us create and keep files with sensitive data; examples of which are bills, financial statements, marketing plans, employee files, and even delivery packages. Industrial shredding services are used by Government offices, non-commercial organizations, small and large businesses, and private citizens. These document shredding specialists will shred the documents securely beyond recognition.

1. Compliance With The Law

We all have the right to protection of personal information. The Data Protection Commissioner was put in place to enforce the obligations of businesses to protect data. Failure to comply, as there are laws that penalize improper disposal of documents with sensitive and confidential content. Businesses and Organizations that hold personal data but neglect to protect it face financial and legal consequences. Employers for example use paper shredding services to get rid of employee files which are no longer in use.

2. Positive Recycling Habit

Reducing the amount of paper used in an office is a good reduction method, while reduction also ensures that there is less of a chance data breaches from misplaced documents. The paper and documents shredded by a mobile paper shredding service will be put into a compost heap and reused at a later stage. This creates a good recycling method for your business and benefit the environment overall.

Data Protection, Paper Shredding, limeirck paper shredding

3. Preventing Identity Theft

Without shredding or destroying documents before disposing them, Identity theft is a possibility. All it takes is someone to simply look into a bin and grab what they can. With data now widely available is now more of an issue. Any data is far better shredded before disposal, all it takes is one piece of information in the wrong hands for a data breach to occur. These breaches are damaging for a business or organisations reputation.

clear out paper shredding

4. Eliminating Clutter & Hazards

Papers occupies space and cause clutter and increase the risks of fire. Once a document has served its purpose, offices need to constantly get rid of these papers as part of an organization-wide records management system. A paper shredding policy within an organisation for when to retain and destroy documents will help an employee to take care of the proper disposal and destruction of paper documents. However shredding services are available throughout Ireland and hiring a industrial paper shredding company is more cost effective.

Document shredding is important part of business practice. Mobile paper shredding services are available. Along with an awareness to data breaches and compliance with the law will ensure data security.

Security In Shredding provide high quality secure shredding services. They provide a Confidential Waste Disposal service both on site and off shredding available. If you are in the Limerick area then please visit our Limerick page for more details.

5 Best Practises Regarding Document Management

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Paper shredding is important practice for businesses in Ireland. A confidential shredding specialist will remove unwanted document and destroy them in a secure manner while also help remove clutter from the office.

Offices should avoid having files, documents and detailed paper information scattered on top of filing cabinets and desks. In every organisation regardless in size, it has a responsibility to manage the information it handles in a secure and organized way. It should be a priority or each and every organisation to minimise the risk of a data breach;

Security in Shredding have outlined below the top five best practises for Document Management whom they encourage every business to follow;

  1. Indexing & Filing:

    An organised document management system has an effective and current index system based on the file contents and compliance requirements. The organisation should manages file creation in an efficient manner whereby no duplication or irrelevant copies are filed and records retention periods are clearly labelled on the files or storage boxes. Security in Shredding would recommend implementing an electronic file tracking system to manage where documents are in their life cycle, and show whether documents are active, archived, or ready for disposal.

  2. Secure Storage:

    Sensitive data stored on hard paper data and e-data should be securely stored and protected either in locked cabinets or a locked room. Many organisations produce a substantial volume of paper as a result from employees conducting their duties, making notes, printing of emails, discussion notes, to do lists – the list goes on. It is just as vital that this paper production is securely stored in lockable consoles when the employee has not longer got a requirement for it. Security in Shredding encourage organisations to implement a Shred-all policy whereby all paper produced in the offices that is no longer required is placed in the secure consoles for destruction at a scheduled date.

  1. Limited Access:

    It is vitally important that limited access is maintained with hand-picked specific employees having the secure access to the file sharing system the organisation has in place. Security in Shredding recommend using a system that uses authentication and password protection to control access and track and manage who can view them.

  2. Retention and Destruction Schedule:

    All documents and files should be clearly labelled by what they contain, retention period, and end of life date. When documents reach their end of life they must be securely destroyed. Security in Shredding recommend outsourcing the destruction of all or any sensitive data to a certified professional whom are registered data processors. Also the Data Destruction Service Provider should provide a chain of custody from the time the material is placed in the secure lockable consoles to the secure removal of documents for shredding. The service provider should be able to provide certification for their ability to shred the sensitive confidential data to Shred No. 6 of the EN 15713 European Shredding Standard. A Data Processing Certificate should be issued post every service delivery.

  1. Staff Training:

    It is imperative that all employees are trained and fully understand the importance of Data Protection. Security in Shredding recommend every organisation to employee a Data Compliance Officer to enforce information security policy and ensure all aspects of Data Protection Legislation are adhered to.

If anyone has any queries regarding any of the important points illustrated, please do not hesitate to contact us to speak to our Data Consultants.

Our confidential document shredding services are available throughout Ireland. We regularly operate in the Limerick, Galway, Dublin and Cork areas.

Please visit our site for more information: https://www.securityinshredding.com/

10 Threats Against Data Security For Small Business

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Bigger companies incorporate off site data destruction practices, small businesses often don’t have the financial resources to house large scale IT departments, purchase the latest and greatest technology or invest into data security.

Many a cash-strapped small business finds itself operating its critical systems on computers that are old, slow and often times insecure. This leaves them susceptible to a wide array of security pitfalls and privacy threats, including data leaks and identity theft.

Fortunately, beefing up your security doesn’t necessarily mean draining your bank account. There are many inexpensive options to improve the security of your small business and protect your information.

Geoffrey Arone, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of SafetyWeb, gave his take on 10 very real threats facing small businesses and how they can be addressed in ways that are free or inexpensive.

1. Data Breach Resulting From Poor Networking Choices
Enterprise-level networking choices that are found in large IT departments around the world carry costs that price small or medium businesses out of the market. SMBs that have networks often use networking devices targeted at home users. Some may forgo the use of routers at all, plugging directly into the internet.

Business owners can block most threats by using a quality router, like a NETGEAR or Buffalo brand router, and making sure to change the router password from the default to something more secure.

2. Data Breach Resulting From Improper Shredding Practices
Trivial as it may seem, dumpster diving identity thieves target businesses that throw out paperwork without shredding it. Your small office shredders will NOT suffice for a secure document destruction, but a industrial paper shredding company is a wise investment if private or sensitive information is printed and shredded daily.

3. Identity Theft Resulting From Public Databases
Individuals, especially business owners, often publish lots of information about themselves in public databases. Businesses are registered with governments, telephone numbers are in the phone book, and many individuals have social media profiles with their address and date of birth. Many identity thieves can use information obtained across various public forums to construct a complete identity.

4. Identity Theft Resulting From Using A Personal Name Instead Of Filing An OA
Sole-proprietors that have not registered a business name to receive “operating as” designation are at a far higher risk of identity theft due to their personal name, rather than their business name, being published publicly.

5. Tax Records Theft Around Tax Time
Businesses should ensure that tax returns are dropped off at the post office and refunds are collected promptly from the mailbox. Identity thieves often steal tax returns from an outbox or mailbox.

6. Bank Fraud Due To Gap In Protection Or Monitoring
Business owners know that it is vital to balance their accounts every month to ensure that checks are not being written out of business funds by embezzlers, but many businesses rarely, if ever, check what kind of credit accounts have been opened under the business name. Monitoring services like myID.com can alert business owners when new credit accounts are opened fraudulently.

7. Poor E-mailing Standards
Many businesses treat e-mails as confidential communications, but this is far from the case. They are available to a number of people other than the recipient. It’s more appropriate to treat e-mails as postcards, rather than sealed letters.

8. Failing To Choose A Secure Password
In fact, many security experts are recommending the use of a pass phrase, rather than a pass word. Pass phrases are several words long, at least three, and are far more secure than passwords. A pass phrase like “Friday blue jeans” can be typed far quicker than a complicated password, and it doesn’t need to be written down on a post-it. The length of a password increases security.

9. Not Securing New Computers Or Hard Drives
Businesses that had their IT system professionally installed may opt to upgrade a computer or two by themselves. This is strongly discouraged on a business network, as new computers must be professionally secured or else they pose a serious threat and an entry point for hackers.

10. Social Engineering
Social engineers are individuals that call and claim they are from another organization. They may even claim to be with a firm that a business owner does business with. If someone you do not know calls on the phone, be sure that it is the person you think it is before revealing passwords or confidential information.

For more information on a paper shredding or confidential document shredding service in the Cork, Limerick, Galway and Dublin area, please visit: https://www.securityinshredding.com/

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Adopting A Secure Document Shredding Strategy For Business

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 confidential shredding, clean desk policy

A secure document shredding policy is integral to any business and protecting customer data is legislative. The Data Protection Commissioner implements the provisions of EU Directive 95/46. Not only are these regulations that require businesses to shred documents securely, but it is also part of running a business and maintaining a positive business reputation.

Why Businesses Need To Securely Destroy Documents?

Every day, companies create paper documents and these documents require shredding. Practically any document that contains data and especially sensitive data needs to be shredded. In particular data containing the following would be regarded as sensitive data:

  • Person’s Name
  • Address
  • contact information
  • Account Details
  • Credit Card Details
  • Budget Reports
  • Medical Reports
  • Payroll information
  • Legal contracts
  • Receipt Information

This is a snippet of what data to shred any and all documents should be securely destroyed by a secure document shredding service.

How This Data Can Be Used Against You?

Not only is forgery and fraud a major issue but also there is of course the potential for bad publicity, loss of customers and lawsuits to name but a few of the dangers. Identity theft is a common issue with data breaches. Criminals will use this data to either make purchases or obtain more data under the pretence of your name.
It is important that all businesses shred or destroy certain sensitive documents. Law enforcement, legal industries, government agencies, banks, health care providers, insurance providers, financial brokers, and real estate are just a few industries where managing paperwork is crucial.

How To Manage Business Documents Safely & Effectively?

A detailed security policy for every type of document your business handles is essential and employees need to know these policies before starting work.

For example:

What are the shredding requirements for the various document types that your company frequently uses? What are employees allowed to photocopy? Incorporating a reputable Confidential Shredding Company that has a good track record. While also training employees about the correct method of destroying sensitive documents and ensuring correct secure policies about how long to hold and when to destroy documents.  Access to company records should be controlled and restricted to a small number of trusted individuals and there should be rules relating to access of these records. A notification or logging system can also be in place to account for what and where data is being used.

At Security In Shredding we operate throughout Ireland and frequently do business in areas of Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford areas.

For a more information on Shredding confidential paper Services & data destruction service, please visit: www.securityinshredding.com

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How to incorporate Recycling into Data Management Security

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Improve Office Environment Usage

Many organisations are unfamiliar with how to incorporate methods of recycling in the workplace whilst maintaining Data Security. Shredding companies in Ireland can provide you with a recycling service for your business.

Security in Shredding recommend to have the following;

  • All open and unsecured paper recycling bins in the workplace replaced with Security in Shredding’s lockable office friendly consoles. The benefit of using these consoles is that you know your confidential documents are safe from prying hands and eyes. Your documents cannot be retrieved as the consoles have bevelled slots.
  • Each and every desk should have a specific paper waste bin that is used only for office paper waste. At the end of each employee’s working day, the employee takes the waste paper bin to the lockable console and empties the contents into the console. If an Organisation implements and enforces this process, it will greatly reduce the risk of a possible data breach. As many data breached are as a result of human error, the employer is not relying on the employees to distinguish the confidential paper from the non-confidential paper. This Policy is call a Shred-All Policy.
  • A service provider that employees security-vetted staff to conduct service deliveries. The client has assurance that the personnel whom handle the confidential documents have received extensive security awareness training and have a great understanding of Data Protection Legislation.
  • A service provider whom provides its onsite and offsite shredding services via shredding technologies that are certified to Shred No. 6 of the EN 15713 shredding standard. The benefit of having a Data Destruction Service Provider whom is certified to this shredding standard is that you have total peace of mind and you know that the shredding service is off its highest level.
  • The vast majority of organisations are Data Controllers. Therefore these Data Controllers should most certainly use a Data Processor to processes its confidential data when I reaches its end of life. A Data Processor should issue its client a Data Processing Certificate detailing the quantity of material destroyed, the material type, date of destruction, name and location of the client and the shred number and shredding standard the material was shredded to. The certificate is proof of destruction and allows the client to keep track of data destruction for compliance and other data management purposes.
  • Security in Shredding transport all destroyed paper material to licensed and permitted recycling facilities. The paper material is sent to paper mills. Printing ink is removed and the material is turned into pulp and it is then used to manufacture new paper products. An interesting fact; one tonne of recycled paper saves 17 mature trees and reduces carbon emissions.

By implementing these changes you are contributing to making your organisation greener and whilst increasing the level of data security. For more information on a paper / document shredding service please visit our site for more information.

www.securityinshredding.com