With the increasing passage of new laws and regulations, you are required to protect certain information when it is discarded. An increasing number of laws actually require organizations to destroy information or face steep fines.

At the federal level, FACTA (all businesses), HIPPA (healthcare) and Gramm-Leach-Bliley (financial) require specific physical safeguards, such as shredding, pulverizing or incinerating, to meet compliance. Stiff penalties could result.

Whether you know it or not, you have an "implied contract" to protect your customers' confidential information. Simply based on the fact that you are collecting the data to conduct business establishes that contract. Your customers have the right to expect you to take every precaution to protect their information, including shredding it before it is discarded. Casually discarding information, whether in the form of customer information, company information or individual information, shows disregard for the welfare of all involved parties, exposing them to theft and fraud. It also brings the risk of legal action.

Dumpster diving has become the primary method for criminals to obtain confidential information to commit Identity Theft and Corporate Vandalism. Casually discarded information has resulted in a wave of crime.

Employees, past and present, have a legal right to have their personal information protected by shredding before it is discarded. Insurance records, employment applications, time cards, health records, accident reports and attendance records are examples of information that legally must be protected.

Why not just recycle it? Recycling alone does not establish the necessary requirements of information destruction, such as:

• How it was destroyed
• Where it was destroyed
• Who destroyed it
• When it was destroyed
• Legal chain of custody
• Fiduciary obligations

Contact our offices for free information about
current laws and destruction information
831-479-8100