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Shredding Company

Thank you for considering Data Shredding Services of Texas. Below you will find answers to several commonly asked questions. You will find them helpful to refer to when considering our shredding services in Houston. If you have any additional questions please contact our company and we will be happy to provide solutions for your needs.

Why shred?

Why should stored records be destroyed on a regular basis?

Couldn't I recycle and get the same results as shredding?

Should I trust my documents to just any shredding company?

Should I trust my record storage company to destroy my documents?

How important is it to protect the documents of Senior Management?

I have offices in several states. Can DSS provide service to those locations too?

Does DSS supply locking containers to store my material in until I am ready for a pickup?

What if I only need to use shredding services one time?

Why shred?

Every Business Has Information That Requires Destruction. All businesses have occasion to discard confidential data. Customer lists, price lists, sales statistics, drafts of bids and letters, even memos, contain information about business activity, which would interest any competitor. Every business is also entrusted with information that must be kept private. Employees and customers have the legal right to have this data protected.

Without the proper safeguards, information ends up in the dumpster where it is readily and legally available to anybody. The trash is considered by business espionage professionals as the single most available source of competitive and private information from the average business. Any establishment that discards private property data without the benefit of destruction exposes itself to the risk of criminal and civil prosecution, as well as the costly loss of business.

Why should stored records be destroyed on a regular basis?

The period of time that business records are stored should be determined by a retention schedule that takes into consideration their useful value to the business and the governing legal requirements. No record should be kept longer than this retention period.

By not adhering to a program of routinely destroying stored records, a company exhibits suspicious disposal practices that could be negatively construed in the event of litigation or audit.

Also, the new "Federal Rule 26" requires that, in the event of a law suit, each party will provide all relevant records to the opposing counsel within 85 days of the defendant's initial response. If either of the litigants does not fulfill this obligation, it could result in a summary finding against them. By destroying records according to a set schedule, a company appropriately limits the amount of materials it must search through to comply with this law. From a risk management perspective, the only acceptable method of discarding stored records is to destroy them by a method that ensures that the information is obliterated. Documenting the exact date that a record is destroyed is a recommended legal precaution.

Couldn't I recycle and get the same results as shredding?

To extract the scrap value from office paper, recycling companies use unscreened, minimum wage workers to extensively sort the material under unsecured conditions. The "acceptable" paper is stored for indefinite periods until there is enough of a particular type to process. The sorted paper, still intact, is then baled and sold to the highest bidder, often overseas, where it may be stored again for weeks or even months until it is finally used to make new products.

There is no fiduciary responsibility inherent in the recycling scenario. Paper is given away or sold and, in doing so, a company gives up the right to say how it is handled. There is, also, no practical means of establishing the exact date that a record is destroyed. In the event of an audit or litigation, this could be a legal necessity. And further, if something of a private nature does surface, the selection of this unsecured process could be interpreted as negligent. For these reasons, the choice of recycling as a means of information destruction is undesirable from a risk management perspective.

If environmental responsibility is a concern, materials may be recycled after they are destroyed or a firm can contract a service that will destroy the materials under secure conditions before recycling them. Any recycling company that minimizes the need for security has its own interests in mind and should be avoided.

Should I trust my documents to just any shredding company?

Take the time to investigate the company you are dealing with. A "Certificate of Destruction" is only as good as the company that will be destroying your confidential information. KNOW THE COMPANY YOU ARE DEALING WITH. Any company contracting an information destruction service should require that it provide them with a signed testimonial, documenting the date that the materials were destroyed. The "certificate of destruction", as it is commonly referred, is an important legal record of compliance with a retention schedule. It does not, however, effectively transfer the responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of the materials to the contractor.

From a risk management standpoint, if information is leaked by the fraud or negligence of a vendor, their obligations are irrelevant. The firm whose information falls into the wrong hands stands to loose the most, either from the loss of business, prosecution, or unfavorable publicity. . Anyone interested in contracting a data destruction service is advised to thoroughly review their policies and procedures, conduct an initial site audit and conduct subsequent unannounced audits.

Our shredding company in Houston provides the most reliable records destruction services. Our reputable team of security experts will take care of your paper shredding services needs for you.

Should I trust my record storage company to destroy my documents?

Most commercial records storage facilities offer records destruction as a service to their customers. However, in a survey conducted by the National Association for Information Destruction, many of those firms were found lacking the equipment necessary to provide the services themselves. It is a common practice in the industry to subcontract the destruction of records. In some cases, disreputable storage firms were found misleading their customer by charging for secure records destruction while the materials were being sold to a recycling company for scrap.

Any business using a commercial records storage firm should inquire as to the nature of the destruction services that are available. It is an unacceptable risk to permit a storage firm to select a subcontractor to provide the records destruction service. The owner of the records is ultimately responsible for their security and, therefore should be selecting the vendor directly.

How important is it to protect the documents of Senior Management?

In a survey cited by the Association for Records Managers and Administrators, Int'l, top executives from 300 companies ranked the security of company records as one of the top five critical issues facing business. When asked which issues required immediate attention and policy development, the security of company records ranked second only to employee health screening.

Information disposal is a crucial component of any records security program. While most senior executives do not have the time to become involved directly with this issue, it is something that is obviously very important to them.

I have offices in several states. Can DSS provide service to those locations too?

DSS provides service to all of Texas and can assist you in finding service through out the United States.

Does DSS supply locking containers for me to store my material in until I am ready for a pickup?

Yes, DSS has several containers for you to choose from. All of which are secure and have an opening for you to deposit material through.

What if I only need to use shredding services one time?

DSS can help you for a one time service or if you need routine shredding DSS can put you on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule.

With our shredding company in San Antonio, your records destruction and paper shredding needs will be effectively taken care with minimal disruption. Data Shredding Services offers reliable service at a low cost.

DON'T REGRET IT...SHRED IT