Mobile shredding is among the most helpful services which offer unmatched security. Yet, the funny thing is there get many more questions regarding what mobile shredding actually is. So, this article is going to clear it all up: exactly what mobile shredding consists of, how you want secure document shredder boxes, and some other options other than mobile shredding which may work better for you. After reading this article, you should have a good idea of what mobile document shredding is and what its purpose is. Plus, you should also have an understanding of what identity theft prevention is all about. This information will definitely come in handy when you need to choose a mobile shredding service.
High-Quality Paper Shredding
When you need a mobile shredding service, you want to look for what type of shredder they are using. They can either use mobile or desktop shredders, but it would be safer for optimum protection if you go with the latter since you do not want your important documents to get into the wrong hands. Using desktop equipment can compromise your entire system since documents are shredded on the physical hard drive.
Another question which you may be wondering is why secure containers for document shredding are needed. Secure containers for mobile shredding service come in handy especially in situations where there is a chance that the people working at the job could also be targeted by identity thieves. If they use their mobile shredders in a secured container, then identity theft is prevented. Also, consider the amount of money that needs to be invested. What is more, it will also protect you from the costly task of having to replace expensive hard drives which are completely destroyed.
When choosing a mobile shredding service, make sure that you know how your documents are being shredded. Secure document shredders shred paper documents while keeping the original copy. Some companies will even allow you to have one document shredded while having the rest of your papers shredded. This is ideal when you want to minimize the chances of anyone reconstructing your important documents.
Mobile Shredding Trucks
Mobile shredders also have mobile shredding trucks, which will come to where you are. With this advantage, your work area is secured and safe from any type of threat whether they come in the form of identity theft or a malicious virus. Secure containers for document shredders are made in such a way that they can also shred any type of plastic media. The trucks come equipped with large shredders for larger jobs. These shredders are able to shred paper, CDs, DVDs, and any other type of media that can be destroyed.
With mobile shredding service, you no longer need a portable office shredder as these trucks are designed to shred any materials that are too large to fit into most office shredders. These trucks come equipped with large industrial shredders. They can easily shred paper, plastic, and any other type of media that can be shredded.
100% Complete Privacy
If you want total privacy while your sensitive documents are being shredded, then mobile shredding services are perfect for you. You can shred any type of documents and papers that you want as long as they are in plastic bags. Most mobile service companies have shredders that are equipped with scanners that will effectively decipher any secret messages in your documents. Using their large industrial shredders, they will securely shred any document and paper you want.
Mobile shredders come with bins in which you can securely store your sensitive information. Most of these bins come with secured locks and filing cabinets so that your documents are safe from theft or burglary. You can also choose bins that have shutters for additional security. These closed bins will further safeguard your sensitive information until it can be safely shredded.
One of the best ways to secure your company against paper loss or damage is through scheduled document shredding. Scheduled shredding helps you schedule the shredding of important documents so that they will be destroyed immediately. If a paper shredder were not used, this information could be lost forever. It is also important to note that shredders are not only used for shredding paper. They can also be used for the disposal of plastic cards, circuit boards, and other items that may be cluttering your workspace or home.
Why Scheduled Shredding?
A scheduled shredding service is one of the best ways to secure sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. By using a shredder on a scheduled basis, sensitive personal and business information can be destroyed in real-time. No matter what type of information you have, with a scheduled shredding service, your information will always be confidential. With a scheduled shredding service your entire day-to-day paperwork, which usually includes a bunch of personal information, will be completely secure and kept confidential until the material is completely destroyed. All of the papers that are shredded will be destroyed in the same location.
The beauty of having a scheduled shredding program in place is that this eliminates the possibility of a person getting hold of your personal or business information. There is no way for a person to get hold of your confidential information if you use a shredder to destroy your papers. No one will be able to get to your personal or business information because of the destruction of your paperwork. The document destruction will ensure that your information is destroyed and will never be recovered.
A Modern Solution
More people are turning to different ways to store their sensitive documents in an organized fashion in today’s society. A scheduled shredding service is a very secure way to store this type of sensitive information. No matter where you store your important papers they will remain confidential and safe. This is a very important part of protecting your information from being stolen.
Many different companies offer different services for the convenience of the consumer. You can get shredding scheduled and shredded right at your home. The company will come to your home and shred all of your documents at your convenience. When you schedule the service there is usually a cost involved. The cost is generally less than several rolls of paper being shredded at once. This makes the schedule convenient and affordable.
Another way to make sure your documents are destroyed is with the shredder console. These consoles will allow you to store your information and these can easily be secured with the locks and security systems that many offices use. Using these consoles is a very secure way to store your confidential documents and maintain their privacy at the same time.
The Right Shredding Company
Many different companies offer scheduled shredding services that are located throughout your city. Some of them have security containers that you can use when shredding your documents. Security containers come equipped with high-tech locking mechanisms to protect your information. Most of the security containers can handle one sheet of paper at a time.
It is very easy to store your confidential information and secure it with a shredder. If you store your confidential information and take care of its security, you will never have to worry about the safety of any of your information. Shredding your old documents helps you maintain your information’s security and privacy while making sure it is stored safely and securely. This is a very easy way to maintain the integrity of your business records and ensures that no one else will get to what you have kept hidden.
Clutter is not something that happens overnight. It builds and builds over time. When it comes to a cluttered office or desk, it can not only negatively affect your employee’s productivity but can also increase stress levels and reduce concentration. But that’s not all either. It can also put your business at risk for a data breach if sensitive documents fall into the wrong hands.
These tips are geared towards helping you declutter your office space and make it so your worker’s productivity is high and your data is secure.
Stay On Top of Your Documents
One thing that can cause a messy desk or office is the number of documents you have. Maybe your file cabinet is unorganized, or you have papers scattered all over your desk. Thus, making it difficult to find that exact document you are looking for.
Keeping your files organized and putting them away properly will not only help you find things easier but can also protect you from sensitive information from being seen or even taken by someone else.
Another great way to declutter and stay organized is to keep up with your document shredding. Having a scheduled shredding service come to your office regularly helps improve your data security and keeps your office tidy. Usually, when you use a professional shredding company for a scheduled shredding, they also will provide you with a secure shredding bin. This means your employees can easily drop off documents into this secure bin when they are ready for shredding, then when the time comes, the shredding company will pick up the bin and shred the documents for you.
Digitize It
With the technology we have these days, not every document needs to be printed. Instead, you can simply store them in a cloud service. These services have data protection built into them, so you don’t have to worry about your data being at risk. By doing this, your documents won’t be taking up space unnecessarily, and also your data is at less of a risk of being stolen.
Shred Old Hard Drives/Media
Technology is constantly changing, which means that you are upgrading computers, hard drives, and even phones. Sometimes a company will hold onto these because they know they can have sensitive data on them. Instead of storing them, which can still cause data risks, you should use a hard drive shredding or media shredding service. Choosing a professional company means that they are correctly destroyed and even recycled afterwards.
Office Clutter Policy
An office policy can ensure that your desks and other places aren’t overcome with clutter, like documents or even knick-knacks. By making sure that you have a clean desk policy, it can make sure that documents aren’t left out in the open for anyone to see or take.
Now that you have these helpful tips, you can start the declutter process of your office or even your home. If you are ready to begin document or media shredding, contact Chesapeake Paper Systems, and we can get you started!
Documents can be a hassle these days between the threat of information theft and the various regulations concerning their handling. While it can be frustrating, these concerns are valid for various reasons. One question you may be wondering is the best means of storing your records.
Some records aren’t required to be stored for a length of time due to shredding requirements, but there are documents that should be stored. Why would you even need to do this, and how should you go about it? It’s not rocket science, but sometimes knowing where to start can be a big help to get things rolling.
Why Store Records?
First thing’s first: why would you store records when you can just shred them all and not have to worry about it? The answer is a simple one: there are just some things you need to hold onto. Between legal requirements and for the sake of your own records, some files need to be retained for a period of time.
Medical records, finances, letters of sales, etc, are examples of records you may want to store. Additionally, tax records and bank statements may also be on your list. For a business, you might have client files you need to hold, but don’t want to run the risk of leaving them exposed. Securely storing them helps to improve record security at the same time that it helps you declutter your space.
How To Store Records?
The reason for storing records is fairly self evident. Now we need to decide the best way to do so. You could of course do it yourself successfully with the proper considerations, but we’d humbly suggest using a professional document storage service. These services offer a number of advantages that you wouldn’t get on your own, at least not without great investments of time and money.
For starters, they provide you with an organizational system that keeps your records in good order, and easily retrievable, without you having to invest a lot of your own time into it. The secure storage facility itself comes with a number of advantages you won’t easily get on your own. The premises are secured against intruders with state of the art security systems, with only authorized, background checked personnel allowed entry.
Furthermore is disaster protection built right into the facility. What do we mean by disaster? This refers to things like: building fires, flooding, earthquakes (where applicable), etc. Disasters happen unfortunately, and it’s important to try to mitigate the damage where you can. Since the structure is designed with these in mind, you’ll find protections like: fire doors, fire resistant materials, strong shelving, etc. All precautions to keep your records as safe as possible.
Keeping your records as safe and organized as possible is important, and you don’t have to go it alone if you don’t want to. We’d like to suggest our services to you, should you be interested, simply let us know.
Scam emails are sent out into the world with abundance, and have been for many years. As if junk mail, and scam callers weren’t bad enough, they will also reach out to you through your private emails. It seems like there is no escape from these sorts of things as they far too often make their way around the spam filter. While a seemingly endless nuisance with sinister intent, a little education will help you deal with them once and for all.
For those that are less educated in this topic, take note that scam emails can pose a very serious threat. What can seem like a harmless inquiry, or contact from a known source, can soon turn out to be something far more sinister. In fact, you may find yourself with major headaches for several years to come after your dealings with these emails. How can you combat this issue? First and foremost what you need is to be aware of the proper way to deal with these privacy invaders.
Picking Out The Scams
To start, you must learn how to identify the scam emails from the real ones. Once you get a grip on doing this you’ll be in a much better position. It’s important to know that their main tactic is to try and appear to be from companies or other sources that you might trust. That could be your bank, credit card company, the government, e-commerce stores, social media, etc. Essentially this is the lure with which they tempt you.
From here they try and spin a story for you, one that inspires urgency to act or face severe repercussions. Some common yarns they will spin for you are the following:
- Suspicious activity on your account
- Asking to confirm your personal and private information
- Fake invoices that need to be paid
- Trouble with the law unless you click here now
- An offer to claim free products or services
Oftentimes the spelling and grammar in the email is poor as well, and the greeting will be fairly generic, lacking that personal touch you’d get from a recognizable source. The senders address usually looks very suspicious as well, since they are unable to actually use the proper and official email address of whatever organization they are acting as.
Reacting To The Scams
The best thing you can do is try to identify scam emails from their subject line so you don’t need to open them in the first place. This will help to avoid any nasty surprises that may be within when you open them. Sometimes opening an email will send a notification back to the sender, so they will know there is someone on the other end, and you may start getting more. Should you get capable of doing this, simply delete the emails without opening them.
Since that’s not always an option, and you may have to open them to identify what it is, we’d recommend keeping an updated antivirus software on your device. This will help protect you from anything within. Keep your operating system updated as well to avoid any security issues that might come with having an older version. If unauthorized access to your accounts is an issue on your mind, you can set up two-factor authentication to get a notification, and one time code, whenever a login attempt is made.
To Summarize
Remember to keep a sharp eye on the emails you are getting, and avoid opening anything suspicious where possible. Delete them if you’re confident in your identification, and keep your security strong and updated for times when you are not sure. Scam emails pose a serious problem, but it is one that is entirely manageable.
With 2021 well underway now, many businesses would take this time to settle any leftover affairs from the previous year. Before you get caught under another year’s worth of records, you should take care of the old stuff now. But what if that is quite a lot of information needing to be destroyed? Don’t feel daunted by that proposition, help is available to you.
The amount of records you have, be it a little or a lot, is of no issue here. The main issue is swiftness of action when dealing with secure documents. Enter a document purge. It’s the perfect opportunity to clean a house in one swoop. So let’s get you on your way.
Gathering The Documents
Hopefully you’ve already got some manner of document handling policy at your workplace that can give you a head start. If not, then gathering up the records might be a bit of a pain, but it is a necessary pain if you want to properly destroy the documents. We won’t go into what documents you need to gather here, as you should hopefully know that by now, but if you need guidance then just take anything with private information on it that isn’t needed for retention purposes.
Once gathered, keep them together in a secure location until you are ready to shred. This could be a shred bin, a drawer with a good stout lock on it, or something else that will ward people away. Hopefully it’s not something someone can just casually walk off with either! You don’t need to worry about separating out staples, paper clips, folders, etc, as the shredders will have no issue in chomping down on these.
Time To Shred
Make sure you are choosing to work with a reputable shredding company. Check out their certifications and see what reviews they have from clients they worked with. Look specifically for the NAID AAA Certification.
Once you’ve selected, make your appointment, and sit back and watch the magic happen. Most shred providers will come to your location with a shred truck and destroy the papers right before your eyes. It’s a real sight to behold. When the job is done you will be awarded a certificate of destruction to be kept in your records. This is your proof that you have met the compliance commitments for the safe handling of private documents.
After that, we’ll see you next time you need to purge!
Office managers and business owners know that in several cases it can be challenging to stay on top of the nitty gritty details in relations to daily operations that occur in the workplace. While this is quite common for upper management, it unfortunately can also be detrimental to those companies that are faced with security vulnerabilities, which is typically the case for the majority of businesses these days we might add!
The best approach to tackle this project in the New Year is by first formulating a checklist of security-oriented processes that can enhance the security of your business information; whether that is in electronic or document format. In the United States many businesses are subject to federal and / or state legislation that penalties for failing to properly handle information and data leaks (FACTA and HIPAA are two such notable laws, although there are many more.)
If you are worried about the status of your sensitive workplace information, consider some of the following guidelines to help get started and of course to assist in overall security;
- Perform risk analysis. This may be one of the most critical steps you can take as an office manager or business owner; without thorough investigation as to how and where confidential information is being stored and handled, identifying where there are problem areas or risks is essentially impossible. You can only fix problems when you are aware of their existence!
- Consider using an employee screening process. Prior to hiring, reviewing an employee’s history through the form of references and criminal background checks is quite common and in many industries, is highly suggested. Specifically we recommend you do so if the individual being hired will have regular access to sensitive material because of their job role; such as a receptionist for instance.
- Establish an effective plan. Implementing office-wide policies that encourage responsible information management and organization (such as a clean desk policy) is an excellent place to begin. The results of your risk analysis will largely guide the design of your plan to resolve and maintain fixes to any risk your office could be facing.
One effective component that many organizations implement into their plans is professional document shredding services. Placing lockable bins that maintain the security of your old records around your office, means your staff can quickly and easily discard papers here for shredding. In doing so you can rest assured that they will be protected from curious eyes and/or from being disposed of incorrectly such as in the garbage where they are completely vulnerable to theft.
Ready to ensure your office is secure, organized and clutter-free as we nearly enter 2021? You won’t regret this decision and our experts will make the entire process as easy as possible.
From the entire team at Chesapeake Paper Systems, we wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and best wishes for the New Year!
Most Maryland organizations are aware of the importance when it comes to safely disposing of business records. It’s simply critical that any records containing information about your customers, employees, marketing plans, and other private details are securely shred before disposal. Why? Confidential business documents contain valuable details and if disclosed unknowingly, could lead to substantial consequences for your organization’s reputation and its ability to grow as a business.
You might be wondering why an office shredder doesn’t offer the same level of security as a document shredding company. While taking a staff member to look after your internal paper shredding needs may seem like a practical and effective answer, it can result in more problems than it’s worth.
Why Should You Avoid Office Shredders? Here are 5 Disadvantages
It’s Costly: When turning to your office shredder for ongoing document shredding, you’ll find that your costs will actually increase over time, more so than if you were to outsource this job to professionals. When you consider operation costs, maintenance, and electricity, plus the employee time that’s needed to complete the task, what you thought was saving you money is actually doing quite the opposite. A professional shredding company like Chesapeake Paper Systems in Maryland is happy to provide you with savings that are intangible, allowing your team to focus on the job duties they were hired to perform in the first place.
Shredding Isn’t Certified: Unlike in-house document shredding, a professional document shredding company also comes with certified proof after each shred job, which outlines all aspects of the destruction process that were carried out securely and in compliance. When paper shredding is completed with an office shredder, it’s rarely recorded. As a result, there is no guarantee that the shredding was performed efficiently and in accordance with privacy legislation. This could cause potential issues down the road should your office be audited. You may even experience further problems if the in-house operator is accused of handling a document incorrectly or violating regulations set out under key industry legislation, such as FACTA/HIPAA. For your security, Chesapeake Paper Systems in Maryland will provide safe and reliable document shredding solutions that follow a strict chain of custody.
Lack of Background Checks: Nobody wants to believe that their employees are untrustworthy, and asking them to shred documents may seem like an easy enough job, correct? It’s important to remember, however, that chances are they were not screened in the same manner that professional shredding specialists are which could be bad news. Unfortunately, employment fraud is on the rise and it can be a risky decision to task one of your employees to be responsible for such a task. The professional team at Chesapeake Paper Systems places all specialists under a criminal record check, as well as a detailed background check prior to hiring. Our professionals consist of skilled, highly qualified individuals that have extensive experience in providing safe and secure document shredding procedures.
Destruction Isn’t Monitored: when shredding in-house, it can be challenging to have an additional staff member witness the destruction take place, as this removes them from productive business duties, and the majority of companies can’t afford to do this, nor want to. When an employee isn’t monitored appropriately throughout the shredding procedure, it’s fairly easy to lazily toss files into the garbage can instead, simply due to convenience. This act is a serious security threat to your organization and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. When you partner with Chesapeake Paper Systems, we welcome and encourage you to witness your content being destroyed from the beginning of the process through until completion. Our mobile document shredding services give you the opportunity to view the entire shredding process for assurance and peace of mind.
Reduced Security: Document shredding providers such as Chesapeake Paper Systems supply your business with lockable security containers discouraging any unauthorized access to your sensitive records. All sensitive material stays 100% secure until containers reach capacity and are ready to be collected for emptying. These containers are great for deterring prying eyes from viewing information that’s deemed private. Turning to a professional shredding provider also contributes to involvement in smart document disposal among your employees. The shred containers serve as the perfect reminder to secure any sensitive documents that are no longer needed, rather than tossing them carelessly in the trash. There is little security with an office shredder because sensitive documents are often still placed in piles on desks, or situated by the printing station out in the open. This exposure could lead to lost or stolen records, which could negatively impact your business.
Trust The Professionals
As professionals, we know how to keep your information safe from information theft and will keep you in compliance with the regulations. Contact us to arrange shredding when you need it!
With many workplaces keeping their offices closed still, many people are still working remotely. Working remotely means that secure documents are going to be produced by these workers in their homes, which raises some questions about information security. These records still need to be destroyed properly, but there are some risks in letting your remote workers handle it themselves.
The Risks
There are a few big risks that come with letting remote workers take care of it all themselves that you should consider.
Are They Even Shredding?
The first issue that needs to be considered is whether or not the remote workers are even bothering to shred the papers at all. Obviously you would hope that they understand the importance of doing this, but negligence does occur, be it deliberate or accidental, from time to time. Papers that have just been thrown straight into the trash or recycling can be easily retrieved by someone trying to take advantage of this opportunity to commit fraud. Remote workers must understand the importance of prosper document handling and disposal.
Is Their Shredding Secure Enough?
Chances are most of the remote workers that have access to a shredding machine of their own use a simple machine gotten from an office supplies store. This might seem fine, but the issue with these machines has to do with their shred pattern. Most home office shredders simple cut papers into long thin strips that can be reassembled with some time and effort. Clearly that is not a good thing. Properly secure shredding reduces paper to a fine confetti that can’t be reconstructed.
Recycling Can Be An Issue
After shredding, the papers need to be recycled to support sustainability efforts, which is usually handled for you by a shredding company. The issue with doing it from home is that some places will not accept papers that are below a certain amount. This can result in paper waste ending up in the landfill, which goes against the shredding industries efforts towards sustainability.
What You Can Do
Take responsibility onto yourself and help your remote workers with protecting your business information, just like you would be when the office is open. Arrange days for workers to come and drop off documents at the office, host a shredding event where they, and others in the community, can come and shred papers. Maybe even consider arranging for a shredding truck to pop by your employees houses to collect and shred. All you have to do is reach out to a shredding provider and hash out some solutions to your issues. They’re the experts after all.
Sooner or later offices will reopen once we have gotten through COVID-19. When that time comes, workplaces will have to make some decisions to make. With workers coming back in, many may bring the various work documents they created while at home, or the office itself has been without shredding service for a while. So what do you do?
In order to quickly get back on track, you need to have a pass through the office that takes care of any documents. To that end we have an option for you: a one-time document purge.
How Does A One-Time Purge Protect?
Why bother with the one-time purge to begin with? What are the advantages? Let’s lay out several reasons.
Identity Theft Protection
With many employees working from home, you can never be sure what steps they are taking to protect the sensitive information. Many have surely been instructed in some safe ways to store said information while they have it. Once the office is reopening, you should encourage them to bring it all in to be destroyed. The best way to quickly and safely handle all these records coming into the office is going to be a one-time purge, which will destroy everything in one go. This way you don’t have to risk having records sitting around for long periods of time.
Lower The Chance Of Misplaced Documents
Human-error happens to the best of us, and this can lead to accidental data beaches. Clutter is a big factor with this as well. Cleaning up clutter, and shredding the documents swiftly will reduce the chances of negligence causing you problems when trying to re-open the office after a pandemic.
Part Of Secure Document Management
If the office has been closed for a while, chances are your secure document management has fallen by the wayside a bit, at no fault of yours. In order to get a boost when coming back, a one-time purge is a fast way to get back on track. It’s also a great way to quickly refine, or implement, your document management process. Should the quantity shredded prove large, you may realize that a regular scheduled service will be of large benefit to you.
Ready To Help You
If all this sounds good to you, and you want a way to begin this process, we got you covered. Simply reach out and give us the details of what you need. We can offer a one-time purge, scheduled service, or a host of other services to suit your needs. Let us know.