Every business has a legal obligation to protect private consumer, medical, and financial data. Failure to meet regulatory privacy and security rules can result in fines, legal action, and even criminal prosecution of corporate officers. In this blog, we discuss how scheduled shredding helps your company comply with state and federal regulations.
Privacy Assurance
While legislation varies according to state and industry, businesses must make sure outdated information is destroyed in a confidential manner. Currently, several federal laws mandate the safeguarding of personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PII), including:
- HIPAA
- FACTA
- FCRA
- GLBA
- SOX
Under these laws, discarding a bag of shredded documents in a dumpster is not an acceptable form of compliance.
Scheduled shredding maintains the confidentiality of your information. Your document shredding provider offers secure containers for collection of your paper waste. When filled, background-screened, bonded, and insured professionals collect the contents and destroy them within a strict chain of custody.
Automated Destruction
When you are busy, you may be tempted to push document shredding to the bottom of your “to do” list. But waiting to destroy confidential information increases privacy risks and the chance your organization will run afoul of regulations.
Scheduled shredding eliminates the hassle of remembering to destroy PII and PHI. On a daily, weekly, or bi-weekly schedule, your documents are collected and professionally destroyed.
Retention Support
HIPAA, FACTA, FCRA, GLBA, and SOX set specific periods for how long to keep records and when to destroy them. Scheduled shredding supports your retention requirements by offering the secure destruction of inactive and expired records. When documents reach a final disposition date, your shredding provider destroys them.
Compliance Proof
Meeting compliance rules requires more than destroying sensitive documents. Businesses must provide a written record of destruction. Scheduled shredding offers documented proof of destruction. A Certificate of Destruction issued by your shredding provider notes the day and time of destruction and verifies your compliance with state and federal privacy regulations.
For more document shredding and regulatory compliance tips, please call us at 615-242-9600 or complete the form on this page.
Richards & Richards offers document shredding and media destruction services for businesses throughout Nashville.
