Why Buy a Paper Shredder A paper shredder is an investment in your business that provides not only a measure of insurance, but also a peace of mind. Here are a few reasons to purchase a paper shredder for your business today. Business theft: Every business has intellectual capital in the form of sales lists, vendor data, sales data and customer information. Shredding your documents can keep your most important business documents out of the hands of your competition. Identity Theft and Fraud: You hear about it every day on the news. There are people who prey on businesses and steal confidential information. They use yours and your customer’s information to purchase products under false identifications. Dumpster Divers: You’ve heard about and figured you would never do it, but there are people out who do it. They only need to get a hold of a small about of your personal information for one bill and the damage is done. With the use of a shredder you can protect your family, business customer and friends from these types of people. Federal Laws - The FTC Disposal Rule has made it clear, businesses and individuals must destroy their private consumer information or they will be subject to fines and legal action. A paper shredder is the most cost effective way of doing this State and Local Laws and very similar to Federal laws with regards to document destruction laws. State laws address the proper disposal of consumer information, and just as with the federal laws, require that proper disposal methods must be followed or fines can be levied. FACTA Law Makes Shredding More Important Than Ever By now, almost everyone in America is familiar with the term “identity theft.” Most businesses are taking steps to protect themselves from becoming the next victim of America’s fastest growing crime. Shredding documents for disposal has always been a vital step in preventing ID theft, but the introduction of the Disposal Rule section of the FACTA security law makes shredding a necessity for businesses of any size, as well as individuals who employ even one person. Document Shredding and HIPAA Compliance The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates higher standards of privacy and security for health-related information. Healthcare offices, including private practices, nursing homes, health insurance offices, hospitals and state supported clinics are all subject to HIPAA regulation. In addition, businesses that contract with healthcare offices must adequately safeguard information that is made available to them. Shredding sensitive documents prior to disposal is a key component of HIPAA compliance. In the rush to be prepared for the first compliance date, many facilities purchased low cost paper shredders and soon found they could not handle the volume of paper to be shredded. In reaction to this, many contracted with outside shredding services. Today, these services are increasingly being called into question due to the high costs involved and whether or not they are truly secure. Unlike medical facilities, shredding services and their employees are not held to federal standards. If patient information is released by a shredding contractor, it is the contracting facility that is liable for damages under HIPAA laws, not the service. More and more compliance officers are finding that a centralized shredding program with high quality, industrial grade shredders is the better policy. The initial equipment cost will be quickly offset by no longer having to pay the high (and always increasing) shredding service fees. And because the information is not leaving the facility, security is increased. FACTA Disposal Rule Defined The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), was designed to minimize the risk of identity theft and consumer fraud. The Disposal Rule section of FACTA states that any person who possesses consumer or employee information for a business purpose is required to properly dispose of the information. This includes information used to establish eligibility for credit, insurance, or employment. The Disposal Rule was developed to cut down on identity theft by restricting the ability of thieves to “dumpster dive” for consumer information contained in discarded business records. It goes on to say that all employers must take reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to information in connection with its disposal. These measures include burning, pulverizing, or shredding of physical documents and erasure or destruction of all electronic media. The main difference between FACTA and other security laws such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley is that it does not affect a single industry—it affects every business in America. How to Purchase: We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Government IMPAC and company purchase orders. Contact a sales representative for an immediate response Phone 800-304-6003, Fax 310-325-8994 or use our information request form. Free Shipping: Free shipping and inside delivery on UPS and FedEx orders 70 lbs or less. Products over 70 lbs may ship by common carrier and includes dock to dock delivery in the USA 48 contiguous states. Lift gate and inside delivery may incur additional charges, and will be charged to the customer. If prior notice or 24 hour notification is requested on shipment, additional charges may be applied. Quantity discounts are available please contact us for special quotes. 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