Privacy and security are huge concerns for any business in that internal and external information must be protected. The decision to go with the right shredding company is an important step in maintaining protective measures against identify theft, corporate espionage, and other forms of malicious breaches.
From a basic level, the process of selecting a document shredding company is fairly straightforward. However, there are few items to consider in your decision criteria:
- Whether you need on-site mobile or plant-based shredding
- How frequent you need your documents shredded
How secure your documents are once you hand them off to a shredding company
Out of the three points mentioned above, item number 3 should probably be the most important of all your decision criteria. Thus, you should consider going with a NAID Certified shredding company. The NAID Certification ensures that the shredding company you partner with remains in compliance at all times and that your sensitive documents are secure before, during, and after they are destroyed.
Who or What is NAID?
NAID is an acronym for the National Association for Information Destruction. It sets standards and protocols for the information destruction industry. NAID was developed by information security professionals and recognized by private and governmental organizations around the world. Their objective is to promote the information destruction industry along with the strict standards and ethics of its members. These members consist of document destruction companies, some of which have taken the additional step to be NAID AAA Certified by passing a rigorous standards and ethics auditing process.
What is NAID AAA Certification?
For a document shredding company to be certified by NAID, it takes much more than simply filling out a membership form and paying a fee. To go the extra step and be NAID AAA Certified, a company’s qualifications must be verified through a comprehensive audit program. This certification and audit process helps shredding companies meet extensive laws and regulations requiring the utmost protection of consumer information. So what does it take for a shredding company to be NAID AAA Certified? Here’s a snapshot of the process:
- Conduct background checks prior to hiring any new employees
- Conduct county-by-county criminal record searches where the employee has resided for the past seven years
- Require new employees to sign confidentiality agreements
- Require drivers to meet all applicable licensing requirements
- Drug screenings are conducted at the time of hiring and at random
- Secure customer materials from unauthorized access before destruction. Employees that handle sensitive documents are called Access Employees.
- Transport customer materials properly during the time from customer custody to destruction vehicle to prevent any breaches of information.
- Maintain written policies and procedures for drivers and assisting employees
- Require employees to wear uniforms and picture ID badges
- Ensure all customer materials remain secured and in the control and custody of the NAID member agent until destroyed by shredding equipment.
- Require all fleet vehicles meet the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations and have lockable cabs and cargo area
- Require all paper shredded meets original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications of: continuous shred, indefinite length, and 5/8” cutter width or less
- Conduct comprehensive third party background checks on owners and officers of companies
It’s important to reiterate that since Access employees will be the bridge between your sensitive documents and the shredder, they are put through an extensive, three-level background screening process to verify that no individual with a known history of related crimes will be handling confidential material. Recurring audits are usually unannounced which becomes a powerful motivator for NAID AAA Certified companies to maintain compliance at all times.
So what does all this mean to your business? When it comes to selecting the right document shredding company, you should seriously consider those that are NAID AAA Certified. Not only will you have peace of mind after you hand over your sensitive documentation to them, you have a dedicated organization to ensure that the safety and security of your documentation are never left for compromise.
For more information about NAID and the AAA Certification, click on this link: http://www.naidonline.org/nitl/en/certification.html.
Shredding Mobile, powered by Cal Micro Recycling, is a NAID AAA Certified company for secure mobile shredding solutions. Shredding Mobile adheres to the stringent security practices and procedures established by the National Association for Information Destruction.