Questions to Ask a Prospective Shredding and Destruction Provider
Shredding and destruction of outdated and expired information is integral to a solid data security plan. But how do you choose the right shredding and destruction provider for your business? In this blog, we offer several important questions to ask a prospective vendor.
How long have you been in business?
You need to trust the company handling and disposing of your information. Only partner with a shredding and destruction provider with a reputation for delivering dependable service and personalized support to businesses in your community.
Do you offer offsite shredding and mobile shredding?
Onsite and offsite shredding reduces the burden, costs, and risk of in-house document destruction. An offsite shredding service allows your documents to be collected from your business and securely transported to a plant-based shredding facility for destruction in a controlled and secure environment. Your shredding provider can either pick up boxes of records from your office or deliver secure collection containers before a one-time shred of file purges or as part of a scheduled shredding service.
A mobile shredding service involves having your documents shredded onsite at your business. A shredding and destruction provider who offers both offsite mobile shredding gives your business the flexibility it needs for a customized document destruction solution.
Are you NAID AAA Certified?
The National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) is an international, non-profit trade organization for the shredding and destruction industry. NAID’s mission is to promote the information destruction industry and the standards and ethics of its member companies.
To achieve NAID AAA Certification, shredding companies must be audited by an independent Certified Protection Professional® (CPP) who is accredited by the American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS). During an audit, the following areas are assessed:
- Operational and facility security
- Information destruction processes
- Employee hiring practices
- Liability insurance coverage
When AAA Certification is given, the shredding and destruction provider agrees to annual surprise audits to verify its continued compliance with NAID standards. Partnering with a NAID AAA Certified shredding provider ensures your documents are destroyed with the highest security and ethical standards.
Do you serve individuals as well as businesses?
If you’re concerned about identity theft and want a reliable and secure privacy protection solution for your home and family, ask your prospective shredding and destruction provider if they serve residents and homeowners. A select few companies offer residential shredding and/or drop-off shredding services to help protect you from identity theft.
What can you destroy besides paper?
Obsolete hard drives, backup tapes, and electronic media should be disposed of securely and in an environmentally-friendly manner. A shredding and destruction provider who offers hard drive shredding services gives your business a comprehensive solution for its hard copy and digital information.
For more tips on choosing a shredding and destruction provider, please call us at 800-685-9034 or complete the form on this page.
Pacific Records Management offers paper shredding and hard drive shredding services for businesses and residents of Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, and Napa and Solano Counties.